Shattered Dreams and New Beginnings
by leoslady4ever
Summary: Lucy hears words that break her heart, and in her despair, stumbles into a situation that changes her life forever. Will she ever be that girl again? Who will be there to pick up the pieces? WARNING: this story is NOT for children. Rated M for graphic descriptions, bad language, and adult situations. Please do not read unless you are an adult and are prepared for a rough story.
1. The First Cut Is The Deepest

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does.

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**CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST**

I never thought my life would turn out this way. If you had warned me this would happen, even two days ago, I never would have believed you. I guess that's a cliche, but there it is. My life has changed so much in the space of a single day, and it will never be the same again. I will never be the same.

**Two Days Ago **

The sun slowly dipped in the sky, scattering pinks and reds as far as the eye could see. It was in a word, beautiful. The sight was not lost on a lone female figure balancing on the slight wall beside the river. Her arms were flung out to her sides and she was talking as if to herself. However, looks can be deceiving, as she is actually conversing with a tiny being wobbling beside her. Occasionally you could hear a sound from the little white thing "Punnnn-punnn". The blonde reached down and grasped the little guy. "Oh Plue, you are sooo cute!" Lucy exclaimed. She didn't know why she found such comfort in having him around; maybe it was because he was so quiet and calm. He never got loud or argued. He was there anytime she just needed a little cuddle. _Could there be anything more comforting? Nope, definitely not. _She smiled to herself.

She unlocked the door to her apartment, and went inside. It was getting late and she had promised Natsu a home cooked dinner. _Bring on the enormous grocery bill,_ she snickered. He was going to eat her out of house and home if he didn't slow down. Oh well, she loved him, and that meant accepting all those incredibly trying habits of his.

**Lucy's POV**

I started thinking back to all the times Natsu and I have shared since I joined Fairy Tail. _We've been through so much - good, bad, ...crazy. _It's a little hard to believe that so much has happened in just a year. It was even more unbelievable when Natsu asked me out. I had loved him even before that, but I'd never believed he thought of me in that way. I was so happy and I've been that way ever since. If things could be any better in my life, I really don't know how.

I looked around and realized that time was getting away from me again. Plue was staring at me like he was wondering if I had finally lost it. _Oops, I guess I better get busy_. I closed Plue's gate after giving him one last squeeze. _Oh he's just so cute! _I turned the radio on and started pulling out everything I needed for our dinner. It wouldn't be long before Natsu arrived and I still wanted to get a shower and change. I danced around the kitchen, singing along with the music. I just felt so good. My rent was paid up for a couple months and I still had a little bit of money saved up for a rainy day. _Or a nice new pair of shoes - whichever came first_. I smiled, finishing up dinner and heading into my bathroom for a quick shower.

I finished quickly and dried my hair. I threw my clothes on and twirled my way back to the kitchen to set the table. As I was placing the last fork, I saw Natsu climbing through the window. _Annoying habit? Check. _

"Natsu, there is a door." I deadpanned.

"I know, but this is more fun!"

He was such a kid. I just rolled my eyes and crossed the room for a hug. I buried my face in his chest and sighed. He laughed when I continued to snuggle my head closer to him. I couldn't help it; I just loved to cuddle. What girl doesn't? As I breathed him in, I caught a whiff of something I didn't recognize. It smelled like perfume, but nothing I could recall ever smelling. I scrunched my nose at it. What did it mean? _Why would he smell like perfume? He wouldn't...no what am I thinking? This is Natsu we're talking about. _I decided to just ignore it - I'm sure it was just someone from the guild. No need to worry.

He pulled back and looked down at me, "So Luce, what's for dinner?"

"Hmm...oh, chicken marsala with mashed potatoes and green beans." I said, a bit distracted. It wasn't quite as easy to let go of that smell as I had thought it would be. We sat down and ate together; I smiled watching him devour his food. _I swear, you would think he hadn't eaten all day. _We spent the rest of the evening talking and I was finally able to relax. It wasn't long before I started yawning and Natsu kissed my head with a quick "goodnight" before climbing back through the window. I changed my clothes and climbed into bed. As tired as I was, I felt pretty sure I'd drift off quickly. Boy, was I wrong. I laid there tossing and turning, going over and over that scent on Natsu's clothes. There had to be a perfectly good explanation, but my mind was having noe of that. It went straight to Crazy Land. _As if Natsu would really have another woman on the side,_ I scoffed. _Really - I think I'm losing it here. _I laid there for about thirty minutes arguing with myself, before deciding that I would just ask him tomorrow. Maybe when he laughed at my silliness, I could let it go. Now having a plan of action to confront this nagging thought, I drifted off to sleep.

**The Next Day**

I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping away. _Ahhh... what a way to wake up. But no time for that now. I am a woman on a mission. Well, many missions actually_. I had some errands to run before heading out to the guild. Not to mention, I wanted to write my mom a quick letter. I felt quilty that it had been so long since my last one. I sat down at the desk with my pen and paper...

_Done! Now to dress and hit the road. _I glanced at the clock as I opened the door to leave. _Oh shoot, I guess I slept later than I thought. I'll have to hurry. _I walked to town and rushed through my errands and grocery shopping. By the time I had reached home and put everything away, it was already getting close to 5. _Dang it, where'd the day go? Oh well, time to find Natsu. _Since it was already getting late, I decided to skip the guild and head over to his house. I walked thinking of how to ask him about the perfume. As I came around the corner, I glanced up at his house and saw a couple standing on the steps. They seemed to be in a deep conversation, and as I got closer I could hear their words.

"I know I have to tell her; I just don't know how. I don't want to hurt her." It was Natsu, but who was he talking to? _Tell who, what? _The woman had her back turned and I almost didn't catch what she said. "I don't want to hurt her either, but I can't live like this. It's not like we planned for this to happen."

I was starting to get nervous. I could feel my heart pounding and I felt sure that they could too.

He looked down at the girl and sighed, " I'll tell her today. I can't lose you again Lisanna. I love you." _God no - this can't be happening_. "I love you too Natsu," she said as she reached up and kissed him.

My eyes blurred and I was almost thankful that I could no longer see them. My heart was so broken. _It hurts so much. Oh God, I can't breathe_. I didn't think - I just ran. I didn't care where I was going; I just knew I had to get as far away as possible . I couldn't see anyone right now. I didn't want to be around anyone. I just wanted to scream and cry. _Alone. I was alone_.

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A/N: Please bear with me on the next chapter guys. I will tell you that it's going to be rough, and please trust me that I love Lucy to pieces. She is my favorite character. And I promise, one day, she will be happy again. Just take this walk with me with an open mind and I'll try not to disappoint you.


	2. Fight Or Flight

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Fairy Tail. It all belongs to Hiro Mashima

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**CHAPTER 2: FIGHT OR FLIGHT**

Lucy had been running for some time now and she knew she couldn't keep this up. She slowed to a walk, gripping her arms over her stomach. She was so tired. Her body was tired of running, her head tired of going over and over and over that scene with Lisanna and Natsu, and her heart was tired of trusting and having it broken. She didn't know where to go from here. How was she supposed to go home knowing the conversation that awaited her? _Oh God, how am I supposed to go to the guild every day and see them together? And everyone looking at me in pity. I don't know how to do this. _She began sobbing again, knowing that things were about to change, and also knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it. She had been so happy with her life, so comfortable with her nakama. She'd felt like life couldn't be any better and now everything was in limbo.

_I don't want to leave everyone at the guild. I don't want to run away again; I don't want to start over. I love Erza and Gray, Wendy and Levi, Mirajane and Cana. I love them all. I won't give them up just because that bastard is done with me! _She wasn't going to slink off like some poor dog with her tail tucked between her legs_. I did nothing wrong and I refuse to let them make me feel uncomfortable in my own guild, my home. I won't let you two make me WEAK! _Her decision made, she dried her eyes and took a look around. Nothing but old buildings. She didn't recognize anything. _Oh great_, she thought, _where the hell am I? _She reached down to grab the key for Pyxis, when she felt a hand grab her arm. _What?_

**Lucy's POV**

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" I tried to jerk my arm away and turned my head to see who was grasping my arm. I saw a flash of jet black hair and tanned skin before my arm was jerked up behind me. I screamed in pain. I couldn't see who was there, but that didn't matter anymore. I was in trouble. I stretched my other arm towards my keys, but just as my fingers brushed up again one, the bastard snatched them away laughing.

"Celestial Mage! Oh the fun I will have with you!"

_Damn! How did he know?! _I took a deep breathe and yelled, "Open Gate of the Lion - Leo! Open Gate of the Maiden - Virgo!" They were the only ones who could come out on their own power; they were my only hope. _I'm not going down without a fight_. Two bursts of light and there were Loke and Virgo. Virgo suddenly dug into the ground and popped up under the man, hitting him it the face. There was a grunt behind me and I felt his hand release . Virgo and I shot down into the hole and Loke shouted "Oh Regulus, grant me your strength" and then "Regulus Punch!" Virgo dug us out behind Loke and I saw the man smashed into the wall. I started smiling before realizing that he was slowly standing back up.

He lifted his head and I got my first glimpse of this man who had taken my keys. He was tall and built, with long dark hair. He stood there laughing, wearing only tanned leather pants and moccasins. His hair hung to his waist, with two feathers hanging on the side. He was easily as big as Elfman, and his eyes were empty and dead. "I will have to commend you. I did not expect you to be able to summon these two without your keys. I am impressed..." He smirked as if he had already won, and introduced himself. "But do you honestly believe that you alone can defeat me? I am the almighty Tatankan Gnaskiyan."

"I'm not alone" I screamed as I stepped up beside Loke. "And I don't care who you are! I will not fall to you!" I'd had enough. If he wanted a fight, then he was going to get one. "You are no match for my power. You may be sure that I will take you. It is simply a matter of how broken you will be by then." I gasped as I realized his intentions and Loke threw his arm back, pushing me behind him again.

"Virgo, get her out of here!" Loke commanded. Before we could move, Tatankan slammed his hands together and bellowed "Tiger!" I heard a screech behind me and whipped around in time to see a massive orange and black cat rip right through Virgo's stomach. "Virgo!" I cried. She whispered "I'm sorry Princess" and poofed out of sight. _I've still got Loke. We can do this, _I thought_._ I grabbed my whip, eyeing the cat getting closer. Loke threw his hand up into the air and yelled "Regulus Impact!" I watched as a giant lion's head smashed into the tiger with an explosion of light. As the light cleared the tiger's form became a black wisp of smoke and streaked back towards Tatankan. He stretched out his hands to receive it and chuckled darkly. "As you can see, I am not reduced by my use of magic. It returns to me even when defeated." _Shit, that means he won't get any weaker, and he can keep on summoning._ My reasoning went no further than that because Tatankan suddenly dipped his face down and clapped his hands again, this time yelling " Feral Boost - Bear! Hawk!"

Loke gritted his teeth "Lucy take care of the hawk! I've got the bear!" The hawk began diving at me, screeching and the bear swiped at Loke. I snapped the Fleuve d'étoiles into the air, wrapping it around the imposing bird. I could hear Loke behind me "Regulus Blast!" I glanced quickly as an enormous beam of light crashed into the bear. I whipped my head back around. I needed to finish this quick. I jerked on my whip, clutching the struggling bird and slung it into the ground. The hawk let out a shriek, then disappeared. Loke and I turned as a unit to see the large Indian glaring at us. "We are done playing. It is time to finish this. Scorpion!"

A gigantic scorpion appeared right behind us and plunged its stinger into Loke's back. "Loke!" I screamed. The monster ripped itself out of Loke and he slumped onto the ground. As he began to shimmer, he caught me eyes and mouthed...run... With tears streaming down my face, I sprinted around the corner. I had to escape.

I heard a screech and ran even faster. _This is my last chance._ That was the last thought I had before I was yanked off my feet and carried up into the sky. I cast my whip out at a passing building, latching onto a beam and pulled. I screamed as the creature jerked me in the other direction. I couldn't rip myself from it's grip, but I didn't let go until I felt my shoulders rip out of their sockets. I howled in agony as my arms fell limply to my sides. I cried as I saw the ground approaching and Tatankan laughing once again. I was so ashamed; I wasn't strong enough. _I lost them, my spirits, my friends._ I knew I was dead. And there was no one left to save me.

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**A/N:** I hope this fight scene wasn't too shabby. It was my first and I truly tried my best. If you have any pointers on how to make my fight scenes better in the future, please don't hesitate to review or PM me. I'd love to get your input as my experience is nil. Thanks so much to all of my reviewers, and those who have favorited my and my story, and those who have chosen to follow me. I love you all to pieces!


	3. Broken

_This chapter was so hard to write. My eyes were literally swimming with tears. I didn't want to do this to her, but...unfortunately bad things do happen to wonderful people. Please don't hate me..._

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_Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing of Fairy Tail. All belongs to Hiro Mashima_

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**CHAPTER 3: BROKEN**

The sun had just went down, bathing the man in darkness. It was no matter to him, day or night. He felt quite at home in the pitch blackness of night. He walked through the buildings, his steps making no sound. He had considered going around this particular area, seeing how its stench could rival a pig sty. However, he had wanted to shave a bit of time off his trip. Now that he was deep into the fetid smell, he was certainly wishing he had forgone the shortcut.

He rounded the corner of a dilapidated building and caught the faint sound of a struggle of some sort. His red eyes narrowed and his keen senses began combing the area for the location. There it was again. _What is that? _He cocked his head. Suddenly he could smell it...that sharp scent of blood. And if he wasn't mistaken, it was quite a lot of it. He soundlessly made his way toward the smell and as he got closer, he could hear a woman's cries. "NOOOOOOOOO! Please, please stop! Oh God no more please!" she gasped, followed by the smack of a fist on flesh. I was getting close; I hadn't even realized that I'd begun running, my black hair whipping around my face.

I flew into the alley and I gagged at the sight before me. A woman was hung from a wall, her naked body painted red. An enormous man stood in front of her, slamming his fist over and over again into her face, each time crunching her head into the brick wall. "Did I not tell you to shut your mouth?" He taunted her. I was so revolted; I wanted to kill him right now, but I had to be careful or I'd hit the woman. I gathered the shadows around me and crept towards the bastard. Right as I was about to attack, the man whipped around and clapped his hands, yelling "Wolf!" Suddenly an enormous wolf stood before me. I quickly drew my katana and slashed at the wolf. The beast drifted out of focus, becoming a strange black smoke. I watched as the wisp flew back toward the giant man's hand. _So, his powers return to him. Then I need to take him out - not those creatures._ I rushed at him and yelled Shadow Dragon's Slash, crashing my shadow clad fist into his face. He stumbled away from the girl, and before he could react, I blasted him with a furious Shadow Dragon's Roar.

I watched in satisfaction as his body crunched into the side of brick building. I had never been so glad to cause another pain. I began walking toward him, fully intent on finishing his miserable existence, when a faint sound reached my ears. I jerked my head around and saw the woman choking out blood. _Shit._ I looked between the two and realized - I had to abandon my retribution if I had any hope of saving her. I ran towards the blonde, at least I think she was blonde. There was so much blood everywhere I couldn't be sure. When I reached her, I could see all the wounds. I wanted to vomit. He'd even carved letters into her leg. I had to make myself look away from all the damage; I still needed to get her down first. I cut the ropes holding her wrists and she flopped down onto me, crying out. I laid her gently on the ground, trying to find the source of the blood dripping from her mouth. I knew there had to be a horrible wound somewhere and I couldn't move her until I'd staunched the blood flow.

She whimpered as I checked her back and chest to find they were clear, but when I came to her stomach I found a place bleeding like a river. I ripped my cape off, tearing two large strips off. I folded the first up and placed it over the gash and pressed down. She jerked, and I tried to calm her "I'm here. You're safe." I lifted her up enough to pass the other strip of cloth around her body and tied it tight. I hoped that would be enough to stop the blood. I had to get her to a hospital and fast. I carefully wrapped my torn cape around her naked body and leaned over to pick her up. "We're going to get you some help." Her eyes fluttered open. She seemed to stare at my face for a moment, then whispered "Rogue."

I blinked rapidly. _How did she know me?_ I looked closer and it hit me. I knew her. Well I knew of her. I looked down at her hand and confirmed it. This was Lucy of Fairy Tail. Damn. "I'm sorry Lucy." The words flew from my mouth before I could even think about what I was saying. But it was the truth. I ran, clutching her to me. I knew it had to hurt her, but that wound wasn't going to stay closed for long. I ran faster than I ever had, thoughts flying through my mind just as rapidly. I didn't want to see her like this. It somehow made all of it worse because I knew her. _Lucy will be fine - we'll get there in time._ I wanted so badly to believe that; I wasn't even sure why.

I glanced down at her; she was starting to breathe shallow. I knew I didn't have much time. "Hold on Lucy. Just hold on. We're almost there."

_**A/N: I'll try to update quickly - I feel this story eating away at me. It must be told. This chapter's title comes from the song "Broken" by Seether & Amy Lee.**_


	4. So Many Questions

_Thanks again to my reviewers, followers, and the beautiful people who have loved this story enough to favorite it. Love you all forever._

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. It, of course, belongs to Hiro Mashima._

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**CHAPTER 4: SO MANY QUESTIONS**

**Rogue's POV**

My breathing was heavy as the hospital came into sight. I wasn't exactly winded, but I was more than a little disturbed by how panicked I felt. It had been some time since Lucy had yielded to unconsciousness. I could also feel that her wound have begun seeping again. I put on a burst of speed and ran through the doors, people all around lifting their head to stare at me. I released a breath of relief as I saw a woman in a uniform rush over to me, yelling out behind her for help. I quickly explained to her what had happened, and her eyes flinched momentarily before nodding her head.

As we finished our rushed conversation, a team of like-uniformed healers ran out with a gurney. I gently eased Lucy down, and the group rushed off through a set of double doors. The original nurse instructed me to speak to another nurse at the front station, and then hurried off through the same doors after the team. I walked over to the woman behind the desk, and gave her all the information that I had on their patient and the situation I had found her in. I was relieved to hear the nurse say that she would contact Fairy Tail to inform them of Lucy's condition once they had some information to give them. I thanked her, gave her my name, and told her I would be returning a bit later to check on her.

I walked out of the hospital, heading in the direction Lucy and I had come from. I figured I'd go look for her keys; I hadn't seen any near where I found her, but I was fairly certain that she wouldn't have been running around out there without them. Doubtless that bastard had wanted to relieve her of any form of help and taken them. I had heard how close Lucy was to her spirits and knew that she would likely be wanting them when she woke up. I also needed to see if her attacker was still there. It grated on my already frayed nerves that I hadn't been able to take care of him before, but getting Lucy help had been foremost in my mind. I still couldn't wrap my mind around what had happened. _Why was she out in such a place at night? _She didn't strike me as a woman, ignorant of what could happen in a place like this, especially at night. _So why? It doesn't make sense. _

I shook my head, trying to exile my questions. It would do no good to concern myself with them at this point. I had no answers, and Lucy was far from being able to provide them. I hurried forward, my thoughts still consumed with the battered girl I had left in the care of the hospital. I found I couldn't think of anything else for long before my mind turned back to her. I appeared to be stuck. A part of me wanted to turn around and go back. I wanted to wait there, to know for sure she would survive. I wanted to know I had done enough, that I had somehow saved her. Why that mattered so much, I wasn't sure. Maybe it was simply because she had seemed so helpless and alone. I knew all about feeling alone. Perhaps it was the reality of knowing her that clutched at me. The answer seemed to be irritatingly just out of reach.

This was turning into a rather confounding circle of thought. I was right back where I had started, not knowing why she had gotten hurt and not understanding why her pain caused me such grief. I growled in frustration; I needed to focus. I looked around me, realizing that I was getting close. As I entered the alley, the metallic scent of Lucy's blood assaulted my nose, and I struggled to control my gag reflex. It was times like these that made me wish I had never been gifted with my enhanced dragon senses. I walked towards the place I had last seen the large man, and sighed in disgust. He was gone. Now I'd have to track him, but that would have to wait. I needed to find Lucy's keys; she was essentially defenseless without them, and after this encounter, I felt sure she'd want every available source of security. I also needed to give her guild the few details I had of her attack. That was not something I was looking forward to. It wasn't going to go over well coming from a mage of Sabertooth, especially me. Fairy Tail had a distinct dislike for us, even more so after the Grand Magic Games. Oddly enough, that hatred had been born of another attack on Lucy. _What a twisted mess._

I turned, attempting to trail Lucy's scent before the attack. I followed it to the mouth of the alley and found the stink of the fiend that had harmed her. _This must be where the attack began._ I quickly started looking behind and under anything I could find. There were so many crates and scraps of wood leaning against the crumbling buildings. I was beginning to suspect that I would be going back empty handed when I spotted something shiny wedged behind a barrel. I felt a strange sense of relief and was about to head back to the hospital when I smelled something I didn't understand. _Her attack had occurred nearly a block from here so why do I smell her tears? Is that why she was out here? She was upset? _I couldn't stop myself from following the faint trail, and before I knew it I found myself on a path leading up to a house. I was rather taken aback by a scent I hadn't smelled since the last Magic Games. It was obvious this was where the Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu Dragneel lived. _But why would she have run crying from here? _I shook my head at the seemingly endless questions and began heading back to the hospital, not even realizing that I was running again.

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_**A/N:** **I wasn't sure if this chapter was going to work, seeing as there is no dialogue. It's also rather short, so I may go ahead and upload the next chapter tomorrow. The next chapter will definitely provide a quicker pace, more dialogue, and more POV's. So let me know your thoughts on this chapter.**_


	5. Mistaken Identity

_This chapter fairly ripped my heart out and tore it into little pieces. I didn't realize how much it would hurt to write Team Natsu's pain, and I did so with tears streaming down my face. _

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_Disclaimer: I own nothing of Fairy Tail. All belongs to Hiro Mashima._

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**CHAPTER 5: MISTAKEN IDENTITY**

**AT THE HOSPITAL**

**Natsu's POV**

I had just burst into the hospital, Gray and Erza running frantically behind me. It had only been a short time since Master had gotten the urgent message about Lucy. He had given no specifics of why Luce was in the hospital, saying only we had to leave immediately. Everyone at the guild was waiting anxiously to hear from us. I knew they wouldn't be able to handle waiting for long; they were just as worried as we were. I didn't know what to expect, and looking back briefly at my team, neither did they. All we knew is something bad had happened; Master's face had been more worried than I'd seen in a long time. We ran up to the information desk, and the nurse looked up, startled.

"Lucy Heartfilia...she was brought in earlier." I gasped. The woman began looking for the information, and I knew the minute she'd found it. She lifted her head nervously, her eyes suddenly sympathetic. "Go to the nurses desk on the 4th floor. They'll call the doctor for you." she replied softly. I spared her one more glance before hurrying up the stairs. We ran, speaking not a single word, each of us lost in our thoughts. As we opened the door the woman had indicated, we realized that Lucy was being cared for on the floor for critical patients and wasted no time getting to the nurses station. We hurriedly asked for Lucy's doctor and the nurses again looked pained upon hearing our request. Their reactions were making me panic; something was very wrong. Erza and Gray turned to me and I could see my fears reflected on their faces.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia's doctor. May I ask who you are?" We spun around to see a man behind us. His name tag identified him as Dr. Roan Jerstin, Chief Surgeon. "We are from Fairy Tail; we're Lucy's teammates" Erza quickly answered. Gray anxiously followed up with "What happened to Lucy?" Dr. Jerstin sighed, "She hasn't woken up as of yet, so we don't know all the specifics. However, we do know that she suffered some kind of attack. We had quite a hard time stabilizing her, as she had lost a great deal of blood. It was very fortunate that we got to her when we did. Much longer and we would have lost her." I could feel tears rolling down my face with every word he spoke. I croaked, "Can we see her?" I needed to see for myself that she was going to be okay. The doctor nodded "You may see her for a few minutes. She is still not out of the woods yet, so it must be brief."

He led us to her room and stopped with his hand on the door knob. "I must warn you - she looks very rough. I don't want you to go in there without a idea of what to expect. She likely looks nothing like herself." He looked us each in the eyes, making sure we understood; then opened the door quietly. We filed in together, and he closed the door behind us. Erza, Gray, and I shared a glance, then pulled the curtain aside. And there she laid, my beautiful Lucy, but not the Lucy we knew and loved. Not her smiling, happy face. No, her face was so bruised and swollen, I almost couldn't recognize her. I took a step towards her and fell to my knees, sobbing. I could hear Erza wail "Oh God..." but at the moment I couldn't help her. I couldn't help anyone. All I could see was Luce, beaten and cut up; I felt sick. My body rebelled, my legs refusing to stand back up. How could this have happened? I looked up to see Gray standing beside her bed, reaching his hand out, trying to find a spot to touch her that wasn't hurt. It broke my heart again that he couldn't seem to find one. His face looked completely ravaged, and I knew without a doubt mine matched it perfectly. This was so much worse than I had imagined. I could never have imagined something as horrifying as this reality. I finally managed to get to my feet and seeing her again, I felt the grief pushing back to make room for the biggest wave of anger I'd ever felt. My blood began to boil, and I welcomed it. Anything was better than this desperate aching in my chest. I wanted to know who had done this. They would pay. _Oh yes, whoever did this would pay with his life_. It took everything inside me to hold back my flames, and looking at Erza and Gray, I knew they were feeling it too. Their eyes agreed with me - the bastard would pay in blood.

My eyes were drawn back to the bed when I saw Lucy begin to move. She was whimpering in her sleep, her head turning from side to side. I wanted so badly to hold her and comfort her, but I held back, knowing it would only hurt her more. Suddenly a shriek burst forth from her mouth, "Nooooo! No, please!" I reached out my hand to her shoulder; I didn't even think it through. When my hand connected with her body, she began flailing violently. "No! Don't touch me!"she screamed."Rogue!" I froze. _Rogue...Rogue did this?_ Erza's head shot up, looking between Gray and me. Our eyes seemed to narrow at once. They knew just what I was planning and by the looks of it, they were all in.

**Rogue's POV**

I had almost reached Lucy's room when I heard her scream my name. I ran to her door and flung it open, and abruptly stopped. There, standing around her bed, was her team. And they were all looking at me, fury fairly sparking in their eyes. Alarmed, I had the sudden realization that they had mistaken Lucy's words. I recognized their looks of suspicion; they believed I was the one who had attacked her. I knew they weren't going to listen, but I had to try. "You have the wrong idea..." I started. Natsu simply advanced on me and growled, "You bastard!"

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_**A/N: Merry Christmas! I wanted to give you all this chapter as a present :) Thanks for sticking with me through this heart-wrenching tale. See you in Chapter 6 soon. **_


	6. Just The Beginning

_Thanks for all your amazing reviews, for your follows, and your favorites. It means the world to me that you have connected to my story!_

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_I do not own Fairy Tail. It will always belong to Hiro Mashima._

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**CHAPTER 6: JUST THE BEGINNING**

**Rogue's POV**

The red-haired woman and the ice mage followed quickly behind Natsu, effectively pushing me out into the hallway. Natsu, hands ablaze with fire, grabbed me by the throat and slammed me up against the wall. I could feel his flames burning my skin. I didn't want to hurt any of them; they were worried about Lucy. I could understand their reaction, but I was beginning to get irritated. I could still hear Lucy screaming my name. I just wanted to check on her, and they were determined to prevent me. "Let me go...she's calling for me" I choked out. This seemed to infuriate Natsu further, and he retaliated by smashing my head against the wall behind me over and over again.

Suddenly, I saw a burst of light, and there stood one of Lucy's spirits, his face wracked with worry. "What ...where's Lucy?" The lion spirit asked. "She's in that room, still asleep."I heard Erza respond, gritting her teeth, "This bastard attacked her." Loke put his hand on Natsu's arm and shook his head, "Natsu stop,he wasn't the one that did this." He looked down sadly, tears falling from his eyes, "I...I couldn't save her." "What?"Natsu whipped around to see Loke open the door to Lucy's room and walk in. The pink haired man looked back at me and lowered his hands from my throat. I didn't spare him another glance before rushing back into Lucy's room. Loke was trying to calm her down, but it seemed he was only making things worse, her shrieking louder than before. I walked to the side of her bed, my throat closing up at the sight of her. She looked so much worse now that some time had passed. Her doctor flew through the door as I leaned down and gently touched her head. She stiffened up until I spoke softly to her, "I'm here Lucy. You're safe." She whimpered again but instantly began calming down, her body edging toward my voice. I stood back up as my hand slowly stroked her hair. I glanced around to see confusion and shock on everyone's faces. Everyone that is, but the doctor; I had already spoken with him at the nurses desk. Dr. Jerstin, seeing that things were once again peaceful, gave us all a warning look and said, "Fifteen more minutes." Securing a nod from each of us, he left the room.

"Why is it that your voice calms her?" Erza asked me. I kept my voice low, "That is what I was trying to tell you. I'm the one who brought her here." Natsu stared at me, "You found Lucy after the attack?" I looked away from them and corrected, "No, I found her during the attack." Natsu shot forward, getting louder "You saw who did this to her? Where is he?" Lucy began to twitch and mewl softly again. I shushed her, rubbing her head gently until she quieted; then I turned to glare at Natsu, "Keep your voice down. You're scaring her." The three Fairy Tail mages gave me another baffled look, and I sighed. "When I came across Lucy, the bastard was punching her in the face. He was hitting her so hard it was smashing the back of her head into the brick wall behind her, all screaming at her. So you can't get loud; it obviously frightens her" I explained. Loke growled deep in his throat, "That sick bastard's name is Tatankan Gnaskiyan." We turned to him in unison, Gray asking "What happened Loke?" Loke spoke bitterly, his face torn "There's a lot I don't know. I don't know why she was out there. I don't know how he managed to take Lucy's keys away from her. All I know is that Virgo and I were able to use our own power to come out. We fought him but he kept summoning these massive animals to attack us. It was like he had limitless power, and destroying the creatures did nothing to diminish his magical power."

I nodded my head, "Yes, when I took out the wolf he summoned, it appeared to become a wisp of power and he somehow reabsorbed it. I knocked him out before he could summon anything else. I was lucky that he only had time to summone the one." Loke stared at the floor, sadly before replying, "We weren't so fortunate. He surprised us with the first one, taking out Virgo. Then he sent two more. Lucy and I each took one, but as I finished mine off, he summoned a scorpion behind me. I don't know what happened after I fell and told her to run." I could see he was torn up with guilt and pain at what Lucy had gone through. "You did all you could to help your master. You should feel no guilt." His hands clenched as he looked at me fiercely, "She is more than my master. She means more to me than anything in all the universe, and I failed her. She nearly gave her life to save me and when she needed me most, I could do nothing to protect her." His eyes filled with tears and he turned away. I could easily see he spoke the truth; apparently Lucy's spirits loved her just as much as the stories I'd heard had suggested.

Gray looked sadly away from his friend and began speaking to me again, "I still don't understand why she freaks out when we talk to her or touch her, but not you. We're her friends; she barely knows you." I shrugged inelegantly as Erza answered for me, "Her mind isn't completely engaged yet; she's running on instinct. I'd imagine that all she is aware of right now is that his is the voice that saved her." She touched my arm and I saw her eyes fill with tears of gratitude. "Thank you Rogue. Thank you for bringing her back to us" she whispered. I looked around the room and saw the same tearful emotion in the eyes of the other three. I was reminded once again of the difference between our two guilds. They cherished each and every guild mate. I was oddly humbled to have been able to return Lucy, who was obviously very precious to them. I nodded and said somewhat awkwardly, "I am glad I was able to get her help in time."

I looked back down at Lucy, and told them "There are things you should probably know..." They all stared at me, waiting. "There is a possibility that she was...I don't know if she was...look, when I found her, she was naked." They all gasped, immediately understanding the implications. I continued, "There is more. I didn't know what it was at the time, but after you mentioned the attacker's name...I hate to say this, but he carved it into her leg." Their faces were bathed in tears as they watched the blonde on the bed. I really didn't want to continue, but knew I had to give them the last bit, "You also need to know, when I went back to search for Lucy's keys, Tatankan, as you called him, was gone." Their startled gazes flew up to my face. Natsu sputtered, "You left him alive?" I narrowed my eyes at the perpetual hot head and replied, "I had every intention of killing him on the spot, but Lucy's condition was worsening. So, yes I left him there; her life was more important to me than his death." The impulsive fool was steadily getting on my nerves. I turned my head away from him, and once again gazed at Lucy, "My point was that Lucy is still not completely safe. I don't know if he will be searching for her, but I don't believe we should take the chance. It is of utmost importance that we track him down. Until he is found, we cannot be assured of her safety, and someone will need to be with her at all times."

Eyes blazing, Natsu growled, "I'll be staying with Lucy tonight. That fucker's not getting anywhere near her." I nodded my head and said, "That will be good as I have to leave for now. I was on a mission when all this started and I need to turn it over to my partner. I should be back in the morning to begin hunting Lucy's attacker." Natsu's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why? Why do you care so much? Why would you help us?" I snorted "I'm not helping you. I'm helping her." I pointed to Lucy's still form on the bed. "But why?" he demanded. Erza murmured, "Natsu, stop it." "No Erza, I wanna know why he helped Luce. It doesn't make sense. He's a Saber. They don't like us." he grumbled. I stared Natsu down and answered, barely restraining my anger, "You know, you have already attacked me without cause and you now question my reasons for assisting your friend. I would not normally feel the need to answer to you, however I will explain myself simply because I refuse to do anything to make this harder on Lucy than it already is. I'm here because she wants me here. I'm here because I told her I would be here." Gray stepped between us, "Natsu, back off. He saved Lucy's life. Just stop."

I ignored them as I turned back to Lucy. I leaned over her bed and whispered "I'll be back soon Lucy." She began fidgeting on her bed, softly whimpering. I brushed her hair back from her face as I spoke again, "It's okay. You're not alone. I will be back, I promise." I didn't know why it felt so necessary to comfort her. I didn't know why it seemed so important for her to trust me to return. Since when did this small blonde woman command such strong emotions from me? I wasn't one to care this much for other people. Something about the apparent comfort she found in my voice touched something deep inside me. How long had it been since anyone had really needed me? Had anyone ever called for me with such urgency? There was just something inside me saying, Go with it; so for once in my life, I was going to listen to it.

As I turned to go, Erza and Gray were just finishing up their goodbyes and I followed them to the door. Loke and Natsu had pulled some chairs to the other side of the room so they could talk without disturbing Lucy. Apparently Loke had decided to stay for a while with Natsu. I could see that he couldn't bring himself to abandon his master in such a fragile state. I could definitely relate. I took one last look at the battered mage before steeping through and closing the door quietly behind me.

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_**A/N: I find myself really enjoying Rogue's POV. He just seems to have so much to say, so much to feel. Anyway, this is my Happy New Year to all of you cause you guys are the best. Next chapter we go to Fairy Tail. **_


	7. Out Of Reach

****_I'm so sorry it has taken me nearly two weeks to get this chapter up. I can only say that I will try to do better in the future. Thanks to all of you beautiful people who continue to follow this story and review. Thank you to all of you who have added my story as a favorite. You have no idea how much that means to me. You all are wonderful. _

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_As always, Fairy Tail and it's characters belong to Hiro Mashima. I own nothing._

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**CHAPTER 7: OUT OF REACH**

**Gray's POV**

The walk back to the guild was painfully silent. I couldn't seem to find words to express my horror at the sight of Lucy; she was so broken. She had long ago grabbed my heart and wrapped it right up next to hers; I'd never had a sister before, but everything inside me said that I couldn't love one anymore than I did Lucy. It was simply impossible not to love her. We all in the guild had come with baggage, some sadness or pain in our past; we had, most of us, gone a little dark at times. Not Lucy, somehow she took all her hits and still found a reason to smile. It was killing some part of me to realize that this might be one hit that she couldn't come back from unchanged. And there was nothing I could do; there was nothing anyone could do to change what had happened to her. Loke's face had all but said the same thing. He had fought so hard to save her, and I couldn't imagine how it must have felt to be forced to leave her in the midst an attack. It was easy to see that guilt and self-loathing were taking him over, and I hated it for him. I knew he would never have left Lucy to face such a fate if he'd had a choice; I also knew I would be feeling the same way if it was me. I shook my head, wishing this was all some horrible nightmare that I would discard with the rising of the sun. I glanced over at Erza as the guild came into view. I knew she was dreading this as much as I.

I pushed the doors open and we trudged inside to see that all our members were present and looking at us expectantly. I suppose I should have foreseen everyone being there, considering how we had torn out of the building earlier. Gramps pushed through the crowd, his aged face full of worry. "How is she?" he questioned gently. I looked down at the man who'd been like a father to us all these years and suddenly felt like a child far out of his depth. "She's...Gramps she's hurt...so..." I couldn't finish as I sank to the floor and sobbed. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I heard gasps around the guild, but I didn't care who saw my breakdown. I had somehow managed to keep my control at the hospital, but now it completely deserted me. I felt ravaged, utterly torn apart. I sat there heaving as soft arms enveloped me. "Gray-sama..." Juvia whispered. I leaned into her, tears streaming down my face. I was beyond the idea of being embarrassed at the fact that everyone was seeing my upheaval. All I could think of was Lucy lying in that hospital. My mind was destroying me with visions of her calling out to us for help and no one hearing. I wanted to erase them; I wanted them gone so I could breathe again.

I emptied out my anguish into the silence of the guild, and then a hand appeared in front of me. I looked up into Erza's pain-filled eyes and clasped her hand to stand. I nodded briefly to Juvia, then turned to once again to face Gramps. I dried my eyes as Erza shakily answered, "Lucy was a-attacked earlier this evening. We almost...lost her." She voice cracked as her eyes began to well, so I continued, my breath shuddering, "She was beaten...and stabbed...and they aren't sure if she was...if she was.." I simply couldn't bring myself to say such a horrible possibility. It was almost as if I spoke the words, then it would somehow make it so. And I desperately didn't want it to be true; what was already confirmed was too much. I couldn't bear the thought of that bastard taking that away from Lucy too. Erza picked up the story, looking down as her tears fell to the floor, "She was found strung up and...and her clothes were g-gone..." All around us, everyone had the same horrified look of unbelief.

"Who the fuck did that to her?" Gajeel growled, clutching a sobbing Levy to his chest. Her shoulders shook as she whispered, "No...Lu-chan no..." There were murmurs of agreement throughout the guild until the Master held up his hand. "There's more, isn't there?" he questioned. I grit my teeth and nodded, "The bastard carved his name into her leg." Mirajane cried out as she rocked a whimpering Wendy in her arms. Cana was staring at Lucy's usual seat, her hand gripping the counter; Lisanna had buried her face into her brother's chest, while Elfman fought his own tears. Laxus had turned his face away, his jaw clenching tightly, as his Raijinshuu worked to keep their anger in check. "Who found our Lucy?" Gramps asked. I shook my head in confusion and explained, "Rogue Cheney was the one who brought her to the hospital. He saved her life." The master's face jolted, matching everyone else. I couldn't blame them for the shock; I still couldn't believe it. "How can you be sure that Saber isn't the one that did this to her?" Laxus growled viciously, his blue eyes flashing. Erza looked at him, speaking softly "Because Loke told us who it was and because...because she calls for Rogue in her sleep." I nodded my head again in agreement when everyone looked at us in surprise, "She started screaming while we were there and Natsu tried to comfort her, but she freaked out even more. Rogue was the only one that could calm her down."

"Why would she calm down with someone from Sabertooth, but not with her own boyfriend?" astounded, Macao inquired with his arm around his red eyed son Romeo. Gramps answered for us, "She recognizes his voice as belonging to the one who saved her. She feels safe with him. It's simple; in that moment, he could have hurt her if he'd wanted to. She was defenseless; there was nothing she could have done to stop him. But he didn't harm her; he took her to safety." I cleared my throat and added the final bit of information everyone needed to hear, "He's still out there, her attacker. Goes by the name Tatankan Gnaskiyan; he has some sort of limitless summoning magic." Erza noticed Master about to ask for details and finished my thoughts, "He apparently summons massive animals from what Loke and Rogue said; when the creatures are destroyed, the magic energy that created them doesn't just dissipate. It somehow returns to him. So his magic is never actually drained." Gramps' eyes narrowed slightly, "How does Rogue know of this Tatankan's magic?" I shook my head slowly, "He didn't just find her, Gramps. He fought the man to save Lucy. He's the one that told us most of what we know."

Stunned faces stared back at us from all corners; it seemed they were all stuck, as Natsu was, on why. We shocked them all further when we told them of Rogue informing them of his return in the morning and of his plans to track Lucy's attacker in conjunction with our guild. The master rubbed his chin and voiced his thoughts, "It would seem that we owe that man a great deal."

**AT THE HOSPITAL**

**Natsu's POV**

I leaned back onto the makeshift bed near Lucy, and released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Loke had long since returned to the Spirit World, and it was now completely silent in the room. My mind was churning, trying to figure out what had happened, why Lucy had been attacked. I laid there on my side, watching her sleep, her breath easing out through parted lips. She hadn't moved much since everyone else had left, and I was grateful that she didn't seem to be in any pain at the moment. Looking at all the bandages that were visible, I was once again overcome with horror and a tear slipped from my eye. _Lucy, what did he do to you?_ There was a part of me that didn't want to know, a part that believed it would break me to find out. I knew everything about Lucy, how she looked when she cried or when she was afraid, how she sounded when she sobbed or screamed. And I knew that if I ever found out all that she'd been through, I would forever see her pain and agony in my mind. I would never be able to forget. Then again, Lucy had lived through it and here I was being a coward, trying to protect myself from more pain. _She doesn't get to forget it, so why am I working so hard to make it easier on myself?_ I wiped my eyes and rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling. How could something like this happen to Luce? She was one of the most sincere, innocent people he had ever known; she didn't deserve this. No one deserved something so vile, but Lucy...Lucy was forgiving and kind. She wanted good for everyone, even if they had wronged her in the past. She deserved more than anyone else to be happy and safe...

My train of thought shattered with the sound of moaning. I turned to see Lucy's head slowly moving side to side; she was saying something, but I couldn't make it out. "Luce..." I called to her, as I stood up from my place on the bed. Her head started twitching faster, her face scrunching up in fear. "No...no more...please...no more..." she repeated brokenly like a mantra. As I got closer, I could hear her heart beating frantically. I don't think I'd ever heard one beating so fast and it worried me. "Luce, it's me." I tried again to wake her up, as her mutterings got steadily louder. I reached out and gently grasped her hand. Her eyes suddenly flew open. She took one look at me standing so close to her and jerked her hand away from mine. Her face screwed up in terror and she leaned away from me, opening her mouth to whimper, "Don't touch me...don't touch me." I reached out to her again, "Lucy, it's me, Natsu." She shook her head as my hand got closer, then she shrieked, "Nooo! Stop...don't touch me! No no no...stop!" I dropped my hand, tears momentarily clouding my vision. She frantically scanned the room, calling out in a voice filled with desperation, "Rogue!" Not finding who she was looking for, she disintegrated, beginning to hyperventilate. Her wild eyes darted back to me; it was like she'd never seen me before. Her muscles tensed for a moment before she smashed her hands onto the bed and attempted to scoot across the bed to get away from me. As soon as she put her weight on her arms, she fell to the side and shouted in pain. I jumped forward to help her as the door swung open, her doctor and nurses rushing into the room. She was slapping at my hands and hysterically screeching, "Get away! R-Rogue! Help me!" "Hold her down!" Dr. Jerstin shouted. The nurses grabbed her arms and legs, trying as gently as possible to keep her still.

I stood out of the way, using the wall for support, as the doctor pushed a needle into her arm. It took only a few moments for her body to go lax and her screams to fall silent. I watched as Dr. Jerstin checked her over and nodded to the nurses, who then got her settled under her blankets again. It was unnerving to see Lucy calm so soon after being completely uncontrollable. She still had tears trailing down her face. The nurses left the room, leaving the doctor to find out what had happened. I raised my head and he pinned me with a worried look. "What happened here?" he asked quietly. I shook my head and took a breath, "She started moving around and talking in her sleep, so I tried to hold her hand and talk to her to calm her down. She just freaked out. I'm her boyfriend and she didn't even seem to know me." Her doctor nodded, his arms crossed across his chest, "It isn't all that unusual of a reaction for a woman in her position to have Mr..." "Natsu Dragneel" I sighed, "What do you mean a woman in her position? You mean because she was attacked?" Dr. Jerstin's face softened in sympathy and said, "Mr. Dragneel, your girlfriend wasn't just attacked. I'm sorry to say she was raped." My breath caught in my throat as I dropped to my bed. I couldn't speak, my mind consumed with the man's words. I went through everything Lucy said and did; it all made sense now. I pressed a hand into my chest as if that could stop the awful ache in my heart. My eyes overflowed again; it felt like they'd never stop. The doctor laid his hand on my shoulder and spoke gently, "I'll check on her again in a little while." I heard the door open and his footsteps faded off down the hall. And then it hit me. I had saved Lucy time and time again; I'd always been there to rescue her from whatever fate decided to throw at her. I had never failed her...until now. I had failed her. _I'm sorry I didn't save you Luce...I'm so damned __sorry._ I sat there with my head in my hands, and let the tears take me again.

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**_A/N: This chapter had me crying so hard. Gray in particular broke my heart. Nothing like a big brother's love. Next, we go to Rogue and Sting._**


	8. Awaken

___Once again, I'm apologizing for this taking me so long. I struggled with a few things on this chapter, but I believe it has all been worked out now. Thank you all for being patient, for supporting my story and me. You guys are amazing!____Special thanks to _**__****LittleWonderland**___(also known as _**__****Wonder-chan**___) for giving me some much needed feedback on the issue plaguing me in this chapter._

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___Hiro Mashima owns all things Fairy Tail. I own nothing._

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**CHAPTER 8: AWAKEN**

**Rogue's POV**

It was nearly 3 am when I arrived at the apartment I shared with my partner, Sting. All was quiet as I opened the door and eased myself inside. I was beyond tired, but I knew there was no way I'd be able to sleep. For one thing, I had to meet with Fairy Tail in a few hours and begin the search, but more importantly, I had promised Lucy I would return. For some unfathomable reason, that promise meant more to me than most oaths I had taken in the past. She had been through something horrific, and I just couldn't bear the thought of letting her down. I trudged down the hall to Sting's room, giving a quick rap on the door, before sticking my head inside. A head of messy blonde hair popped out of the covers and growled, "What do you want?" I opened the door further, walking into the room to stand by the bed. "I need your help. Get up." Before he could respond, I turned around and went back into the kitchen, dropping my worn body into a chair. A minute later, Sting stumbled in to join me at the table.

He glared at me with sleep deprived eyes, "This better be good Rogue; I'm fucking tired." I sighed deeply, "Sure as hell isn't good. You know that mission I accepted earlier today?" He laid his head on the table, yawning, "What about it?" I ran my hand through my hair briefly, before responding, "I didn't finish it; I need you to take it." His eyes jerked up to fix me with a stare, his curiosity quickly erasing the weariness. "What the hell are you talking about? Why didn't you finish the job?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side. I grunted before explaining, "I was on my way through Magnolia when I heard someone screaming. When I went to investigate, there was this woman being attacked. I took the guy down, but before I could finish him off, I realized the woman was dying. She was bleeding out everywhere, so I left the bastard there and took her to the hospital." Sting gave me a confused look, saying, "That explains why the job isn't done, but not why I need to take it." I took a steadying breath and continued, "I need you to take it, because I'm going back, right after I shower. I need to catch the man who did this." He scratched his head, obviously even more confused, "Why didn't you just turn it over to the local guild?" Before I could respond, he realized who he was talking about, sneering, "Oh right, that would be the Fairies, wouldn't it?" I nodded my head slowly, "I've already spoken with Fairy Tail; I'm going back to help them track the guy down." If possible, Sting sat up even straighter, snapping, "You're going to work with them? Have you lost your fucking mind?!" I held my hand up to calm him down, replying, "I have to go back Sting; I promised her I would." Sting shook his head bewildered, "Why the fuck would I care about that? Do you have any idea what Minerva will do to you if she finds out about this?"

He was right, of course. Minerva would not take kindly to any part of this situation, least of all my aiding "the enemy". The sadistic woman had inherited the position of guild master for Sabertooth only a few months ago, after Sting had unwittingly killed her father, Jiemma in a fit of rage. I couldn't really fault him for ending the old master's life; I'd have done the same if Jiemma had attacked my Exceed, Frosch as he had Sting's. There was only one point of Minerva that I could find no fault in; she had told Sting that Lector hadn't died and could be brought back. She took her time returning the little Exceed, using him to pull Sting's strings for a while, but she did in fact do as she'd said. Of course, being the cruel bitch she is, she made sure to return Lector in a much worse state than he should have been, claiming it had happened when Jiemma had attacked the Exceed. This had caused Sting no small amount of grief and anger, as Minerva had waited over a month to return Lector, leaving his wounds untreated and causing his condition to worsen. It was still a bone of contention, between the two, but it had served it's purpose: to remind the entire guild who was in charge. I turned back to the conversation at hand, replying, "First of all, I realize what Minerva would say, but I am only going back long enough to find the man responsible. It is in the interest of all the guilds to capture him. Secondly, I made a promise; you don't have to understand it or like it, but I will honor it." He groaned loudly, gripping his hair in his hands, "Since when do you give a damn about some chick? You got her to the hospital; you did your part. Why the fuck would you go back?!" Somewhere between the exhaustion and the needling I was getting from Sting, my patience evaporated and I exploded. "I will decide when my part is done! You did not see the state she was in! You didn't carry her lifeless body miles to the closest hospital, watching her blood pouring out all over your clothes!" I screamed as I stood abruptly, pointing to the darkness staining the front of me. Shocked, he opened his mouth to speak, but I refused him the right. "No," I shook my head, struggling to calm down, "I'm not done. She is not some random woman, Sting, as you seem to be thinking. I know her; so do you. It was the Celestial Spirit mage from Fairy Tail. That is why I called on Fairy Tail. She is the reason I will help them find her attacker. She did not deserve what happened to her; you just...you have no idea what he did to her." I finished speaking and turn my head aside, breathing heavily.

Silence permeated the room for several moments, as if Sting was struggling to find his words. He began much quieter than before, "Rogue, I don't understand why this is so important to you. So we know who she is; it's not like she's a friend. Why are you so determined to do this?" Glancing back, I sighed at the perplexity in his expression, "You wouldn't understand and I don't wish to talk about it anymore. Do you intend to take the job or not?" I didn't have time to sit around and debate this any longer; either he would choose to help me or he wouldn't. I was at the point now that I didn't care one way or the other. I was officially at my limit. My friend seemed to have realized this, and responded simply with a nod of his head. As I reached in my pocket to retrieve the job request, he grabbed my arm, stopping me. I looked up to him confounded by his actions. He stared at me oddly, stating, "Give it to me after we get to the hospital," before walking past me to his room. I stood there baffled by his complete turn around; he'd been completely against it just a moment ago. _What the hell changed his mind?_ I shrugged off his odd behavior and made my way to the shower. I couldn't wait to get out of these disgusting clothes; the sight of her blood was disturbing me to no end. I was no stranger to blood; I'd certainly seen my fair share before this incident. It had never bothered me before, but for some reason the fact that it was her blood all over me, made me feel slightly ill. I washed quickly, making short work of the blood on my body, before heading into my room to dress. Throwing on a black shirt and pants, I glanced over to the bed, looking for Frosch. I smiled gently at her small form; she was snuggled into the covers, her typical attire having been discarded. I hated to wake her, but I knew she'd be upset if I left her here again, especially with Sting, and likely Lector, leaving as well. I nudged her a bit, my mouth quirking a bit as her lips smacked. "Frosch," I called softly, "Wake up, Frosch." Her eyes popped open at the sound of my voice, squealing, "Rogue! Fro missed you!" I caught her as she launched herself at me, chuckling again. "I have to leave again Frosch; do you want to come with me?" I questioned. Her head bobbed before she hopped down to get her frog suit. I gathered her up after she'd dressed, and we went into the kitchen to find Sting already dressed, holding a snoozing Lector. Sting jerked his head to the side, saying "Let's go." I nodded shortly, walking out of the door, my companions just behind me. _I'm coming, Lucy._

**Lucy's POV**

I opened my eyes to a brightly lit room and a ceiling I didn't recognize. I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision. I couldn't see very well out of my left eye, and everything hurt. I tried to shift into a more comfortable position and cried out as agony erupted over every inch of my body. I stilled immediately, tears coming to my eyes. Suddenly, a flash of golden light enveloped the room. The light dimmed and there was Loke, happiness and pain warring in his eyes. I choked at the sight of him; I had thought I would never see him again. "Loke..." I rasped, hot tears pouring from my eyes. I lifted my arms up to him, grimacing as pain shot through my shoulders. He ran to me, sobbing over and over again, "Lucy I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." He gingerly wrapped his arms around me; I stiffened for a moment, panic attempting to grab me. I quickly pushed it aside, relaxing into his embrace. He felt safe and warm; he was my Spirit, my friend. He would never hurt me; he had tried to save me. With that thought, all the events of the previous day came flooding back to me, and I didn't want to remember it, not now. _His hands gripping my head as his mouth assaulted mine, his fist smashing me for turning my head...the pain...the screams..._ I shuddered violently, my breath becoming haggard. Loke leaned back, his face as ravaged as I felt, and spoke softly, "You're safe now, Lucy." My lips trembled as stared into his eyes, "I-I couldn't stop him; I wasn't s-strong enough." His eyes flooded and he clutched me to his chest again, "Lucy, stop...please s-stop. It w-wasn't your fault; it was m-my fault we almost l-lost you." I whispered softly, my heart aching at the depth of his guilt, "Don't say that. I'm still here Loke." We stayed like that for a moment before our attention was drawn to the door opening to reveal none other than Natsu Dragneel. Loke pulled back, a small smile on his face. He glanced behind him to nod in Natsu's direction, before turning back to me, "I'll be back in a little while; I need to let everyone know that you're awake." Light sprang up around him, and as he began to disappear, he called out, "I'm so glad you're going to be okay Princess."

My mind had frozen at the sight of my supposed boyfriend, and all I could see was him kissing Lisanna. He spoke softly as if he was nervous, "Luce..." and all I could hear is his voice telling the white-haired take-over mage that he loved her. I waited for the anger and hurt to come; I waited for it to rip me apart the way it had before...before everything. I waited, but it never came; instead a coldness settled into my heart at the thought of the man I had loved. I suddenly didn't care anymore; it was like he was a stranger to me. I felt nothing, but this blank emptiness in all the places where my love for him had existed. He studied me, confusion settling on his face as I continued to watch him warily. I wish Loke hadn't left; the safety and warmth of the last few minutes had gone with him. My mind oddly pointed out that I used to find that same safety and warmth in Natsu. He slowly began walking towards me, and panic rose up with every step he took. He stopped suddenly as the door swung open again, and the rest of my team walked inside. Their eyes took in the fact that I was staring at them, and they rushed at me, yelling out my name. I tried to reason with the fear, telling myself they were my team; they wouldn't hurt me. It made no difference at all. All that mattered was that I was trapped, and they were coming at me so fast. My heart beat spiked and I began hyperventilating. I couldn't breathe; it was like the fear had wrapped itself around my throat, squeezing tighter and tighter. I struggled for breath, before screaming, "No!" I pushed against the bed, trying to scoot backwards, as pain exploded through my arms, stomach, and chest. "No..don't touch me..." I sobbed uncontrollably. I couldn't seem to help myself; the panic was clawing at my insides. _They're going to touch __me; they can't touch me. I curl_ed into a ball, my eyes searching the room for a man I already knew wasn't there. "Rogue..." I whispered brokenly. Everything hurt and there were too many people here. They were going to touch me and I couldn't stop them. _I can't stop them; I'm not strong enough_. I heard Natsu's voice, saying, "Luce...calm down...it's okay." My eyes shot open; I hadn't even realized I'd been rocking myself with my eyes closed. _When did he get so close? No, I don't want him to touch me._ I shook my head, whimpering, "Get away...don't touch me..." I threw my hands over ears, frantically shouting, begging Rogue to come back; he promised he'd be back. _Where are you? You promised..._

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**_A/N: This chapter made me cry. I seem to continually do that as I write this story, but I knew this story was going to be like this. Poor Lucy broke my heart; she's so lost inside herself. _**


	9. Truth

_This chapter took me a while to flesh out, seeing how it was from two new points of view that I haven't written yet. I didn't want either of them to be out of character. I hope this chapter makes you smile, and cry, and squeeze your pillow tight. Thanks for your dedication to reading this fanfic. I love you guys so much - your support means the world to me! One last thing to tell you: I think I've found my theme song for this story. Shattered by Trading Yesterday _

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_As always, Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail; I do not.  
_

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_**CHAPTER 9: Truth**_

**Sting's POV**

Rogue and I had just arrived on the 4th floor of the hospital, after a short stopover at an inn a couple blocks away. Obviously the hospital wouldn't allow animals to come with us, so we had left our Exceeds to get some rest. Rogue had been unusually solemn during the entire trip here. Quiet was generally pretty normal for him, but this went beyond mere silence. His thoughts seemed to be constantly centered elsewhere, most likely on the blonde awaiting his return. This entire situation was boggling my mind. I'd never seen him react the way he had at the house or be so defensive of a woman, especially one he didn't really know. That was why I had chosen to come with him, before heading out to do the job he was giving me. I had to know what had him so rattled; _what's causing him to act so out of character?_ I was torn from my musings when Rogue suddenly shot forward, moving at an incredible speed. Then the sound hit me; I'd never heard such a chilling wail, so full of utter defeat. I raced after my partner, my skin damn near crawling. He didn't seem to be surprised at the noise, instead heading straight towards it in determination. He smacked his hand on the nurses desk, barely stopping to tell the startled nurses, "I've got her." Surprisingly, they nodded at him and sat back down. Leaving no time for questions, he burst through the door to a room, me right behind him. Rogue didn't stop at the door, instead rushing right past a group of shocked Fairies. I'd never seen him act so strangely; I'm fairly certain my mouth was hanging open. I had a nagging suspicion it would be staying that way for a while.

I looked over to see a blonde on the hospital bed, clutching her head, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. She rocked herself, screaming out a single name, _Rogue_, over and over again. She didn't seem to realize that she was all but showing the entire lower half of her body. My mind took note of her apparent injuries like snapshots, bombarding me with the sheer amount of them. Her leg was bandaged nearly from the hip to her knee; the rest of both of her legs were covered in bruises, small cuts, and several more smaller bandages. She held her shoulders oddly, and I could see they were swollen. Her arms were riddled with similar spots as her legs: bruises, scrapes, cuts, and some others that were almost impossible to determine from where I stood. I could see white covering the back of her head, but by far, the worst damage I could find was her face. Her left eye was swollen almost entirely shut, the purple color streaking the entire side of her face. Her skin was mottled with marks, the skin seeming to have split in many places from a great force striking it. Rogue was right; I'd had no idea, and I was regretting what I'd said to him. I was dumbstruck as Rogue called softly to her, reaching out to grab her wrists and pull them away from her temples. She whipped her head up, eyes wide in fear, until she looked into my partner's face. The tenseness faded from her body, and she whimpered, "Rogue...I thought you weren't coming...", tears pouring down her face. I watched as Rogue released her wrists and raised his hands to her face, wiping away the ever-flowing wetness. He spoke to her in the gentlest voice I'd ever heard him use, "I promised you I would, didn't I?" She nodded her head, as Rogue gently pressed onto her shoulder, telling her, "Come, you should be lying down." We all stood there in silence, watching as the small broken woman was tenderly cared for by a man everyone thought had no heart. I shook my head as I tried to wrap my mind around the most bizarre thing that had ever happened. They didn't seem to notice how odd it all was, or that the rest of us were even there. It was as if they were the only two in the room. They were in their own world, it seemed, and I wondered at what it all meant.

She began stretching her legs out, whimpering in pain, as she clutched a hand to her stomach. Rogue responded by placing his hand over hers, asking, "Did you reopen your wound?" She stuttered, obviously still hurting, "I-I don't think so." He seemed unconvinced, his brow clenching in concern. He leaned a bit closer, scenting the air around her stomach, and nodded, "I think you're okay; I don't smell any fresh blood." He put on a stern face, still holding her hand, "You shouldn't have been moving around. You're going to hurt yourself more." The blonde Fairy looked down, her bottom lip trembling and whispered, "I was s-scared. They were g-going to touch m-me." He lifted her chin up as his face softened in understanding, "It's okay. No one will touch you if you don't want them to, alright?" For the first time in my life, I was speechless; I felt like I didn't know him at all. _Rogue...gentle, caring...with a Fairy?_ It was like Earthland had somehow flipped while I was sleeping. I looked around at the rest of the occupants of the room, seeing the Titania, the ice mage, and Natsu, each with equally confounded expressions. The world was definitely fucked up when I could find common ground with the Fairies.

I shook my head at the absurdity, and turned back to Rogue and the blonde. He draped her blanket over her shivering body, and asked, "Are you still cold?" She nodded a few times, causing him to step back and say, "I'll go get you another blanket; I'll be right back." He turned to walk away, but she grasped his hand again, her voice trembling as she cried, "Rogue don't leave me...please!" He seemed to understand her fear and pulled a chair closer to the bed, his hand still clutched between hers. He glanced up at the group standing around, asking, "Can one of you go find her another blanket?" Apparently that was the wrong thing for Rogue to say. I could literally feel the temperature rise in the room and found it hard to believe the fire dragon slayer hadn't actually caught on fire yet. Natsu growled out in anger, "Who are you to come in here and order us around?! You're nothing to her! Why the hell are you even here?!" Lucy cringed, pulling Rogue closer to herself. He stood, moving slightly in front of her, his free hand reaching to stroke her hair, as he replied firmly, "I believe we have already had this discussion, Salamander. I am here for Lucy. I also recall telling you not to yell in her presence." I blinked at his words; this was beginning to feel more complicated than just "fulfilling a promise."

If possible, the temperature spiked even higher, and Natsu opened his mouth growling, "You shouldn't be here Rogue; it's time to go. We don't need your help anymore." The dark haired Fairy snapped at his teammate, "God, Natsu, just shut up! Can't you see he makes her feel better?" Erza stepped forward, her face stern, but before she could speak, a shaky voice began, "Rogue...has been more loyal to me...in the last day than you have...Natsu." Everyone spun to look at the small, battered woman, peering around Rogue's leg. I was shocked to see such a cold look on her face. _What the hell was going on?_ It appeared I wasn't the only one at a loss. The pink-haired man staggered back, hurt and some emotion I couldn't identify flickering across his face. His hand pressed against his chest as if she'd attacked him physically, as he croaked, "What are you saying, Luce?" The blonde answered calmly, her eyes dead, "I know about Lisanna. I saw you two yesterday." The Titania's eyes narrowed on the fire mage, "What is she talking about Natsu?" The man held his hands up, eyes wide and pleaded, "It's not as bad as what you're thinking Luce. It was only a kiss; we didn't sleep together, I swear! I was planning to tell you yesterday. We didn't want to hurt you."

My eyes widened at his statement. _Holy shit...what a fucking mess..._ Rogue sucked in a breath, looking down at Lucy, muttering, "That's why you were upset before you got to that alley. That's why I smelled your tears near his house." I watched as everyone took in the information, coming to the same conclusion; Lucy had run from the sight of her apparent boyfriend and another woman, straight into an attack. The blonde spoke again in the quiet, "Looks like you got off easy. At least you didn't have to tell me." Natsu's faced paled as he realized the implications, "Oh God...i-it's my fault...you were hurt because of me..." The ice mage stepped over to the sorry bastard and grabbed him up by his collar, "You fucking piece of shit! You did this to her, you bastard!" The dark-haired mage had tears streaming down his face, his body shaking in fury, "We almost lost her because of you! I-I should kill you!" The Titania pulled Gray away from Natsu, before grabbing him herself. She shoved her face inches away from his, and growled fiercely, "You get the hell out of here and don't...come...back." I opened the door for the red-head as she shoved a sobbing Natsu into the hallway. She looked down at his crumpled form in the floor and spat, "I'll deal with you later" before taking the door from my hand and slamming it.

Erza's POV

I took a deep breath, before turning around to face the room again. Everything in me wanted to scream in anger at such a bitter truth; one of our nakama had caused, however inadvertently, Lucy to fall into harm. When I had found out that Lucy had been hurt, I wanted to find the one responsible and punish him. I wanted to call out all of my swords, just like I did at Fantasia, and send them all into his body. I wanted to watch as his blood ran in rivers down his body. What was I to do now that I knew it had all begun with Natsu? _What do I do with that? My friend could have been spared such pain and horror, if only that selfish boy hadn't decided to test the waters with Lisanna before breaking things off with his girlfriend._ I pushed my conflicting emotions aside and focused on finding a way to connect with Lucy again. She had been so scared before and I couldn't bear the thought that I had caused it. I walked slowly towards the bed, making sure I calmed myself, before asking, "Lucy, can I come closer?" Biting her lip for a moment, Lucy bobbed her head twice, and I felt my heart speed up. I restrained myself from running at her again; I was so anxious to be close to her, to talk to her, but I knew now that moving quickly would only make it worse. I kept my eyes on the woman who knew me so well, one of my closest friends. I hated seeing her so quiet and broken; she was meant to be smiling and laughing. She had drawn me out, refusing to let me hide anymore. Now it was my turn.

I stood by her bed and tentatively held out my hand. She eyed it for a moment, before looking up into my eyes. Then she stretched out her hand to grasp mine gently and I felt a tear slip down my cheek, and said "I'm so sorry we scared you Lucy. We just...rushed at you without thinking." She sniffed a bit, looking down, "It's...it's not you. I...I..." Rogue squeezed her other hand telling her, "It's okay." I nodded, and smiled at her, before making another request, "Would you be okay if I gave you a hug?" Her eyes blinked rapidly as she thought, then she slowly nodded. My lips trembled as I leaned down, and cautiously wrapped my arms around her. I felt her arms slip around me, and I could hold my sobs in no longer. It was like I had found my friend, after I felt like I had lost her forever. I knew it would be a long time before she was completely comfortable with me, but at least now I felt like there was hope. I had hope that one day, we would laugh again; there would be no more fear between us. She pulled back and I saw tears in her eyes, and I wondered if she was thinking the same thing. She suddenly looked past me and I turned to see Gray's eyes pooling with tears. I watched as they stared at each other across the room, and I found myself praying she could find the strength to let him in too. His grief had been heart-wrenching to see, and you could read the pain in his face, as he waited to see if she could accept him. I watched her look up at Rogue, who told her simply, "You can do it, Lucy." Her breath quickened as she turned back to look at Gray. Then she threw her arms up, beckoning him to her side. His hands clenched as he forced himself to walk to her; it was easy to see he wanted to race to the bed, but like me, he'd learned his lesson. I stepped out of the way as he came into her arms, his cries muffled in her shoulder. "Oh God Lucy...I thought I lost you," he choked out. Her arms tightened once more around him, before letting him pull back. She looked up at Gray as he stood, offering a little smile, and said, "I love you Big Brother." His breath left him for a moment, and then his face broke into a tremulous smile, tears still streaming down his face. "I love you too Little Sister," he whispered.

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**_A/N: Oh, how Gray pulls at my heart strings. Erza surprised me; I didn't think she'd make me cry, but she did. She's so reserved, but when she truly lets someone in, she loves so deeply. I have to say, I love Gray as Lucy's Big Bro. Now that he's got his sis back, I'm sure he's going to want to teach someone a lesson. Erza too. See you guys in the next chapter_**


	10. Stay Or Leave

_Wow, two weeks I've made you guys wait. So unbelievably sorry for that. I have been busy, but that feels like a really weak excuse. Anyway, thanks for sticking by me, even with the long wait. Without further ado, here's chapter 10..._

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_I do not own Fairy Tail. It all belongs to Hiro Mashima._

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**CHAPTER 10: STAY OR LEAVE**

**Rogue's POV**

I watched as Lucy slowly reconnected with her friends. Her movements were slow and calculated, as if she had to force herself to respond, but she was pushing herself. It obviously meant a lot to her to find a way back to her life, but I knew that the ease she had felt in the past would be a long time coming. I stiffened as a thought swept through my mind, _You've been here before..._ I brushed it aside quickly and turned my attention to the time, realizing the morning was slipping away. It was past time to get the hunt started.

I stood there, my thoughts swirling, and sighed; I didn't want to tell her that I was leaving again. If her reaction to my leaving to get her a blanket had been any indication, she wasn't going to take this well. I hoped it would help that she was seemingly feeling more comfortable with Erza and Gray; maybe, she be okay with one of them staying.

I cleared my throat, drawing everyone's attention. "It's getting late; we need to be going," I said, watching Lucy like a hawk. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Erza and Gray exchanging a look, before Erza nodded imperceptibly.

Lucy's head whipped around to me, her bruised lip trembling, " You're leaving? W-where are you going?"

My heart clenched as tears spilled from her eyes again. _Why does it hurt so much to see her cry?_ I wasn't sure what to do with all of these new feelings; I didn't understand what they all meant or why they plagued me. All I knew is, it was going to be damn near impossible for me to leave her after this was all over. How could I just go back home after finding the man responsible for hurting her? How would I live with myself, always wondering if she was scared, if she needed me? _Could I really be that selfish? _

I nodded slowly, wincing slightly when she began to frantically shake her head, whispering, "Don't go...please...don't go."

She looked at me with her brown eyes wide with fear, and my chest tightened at the rivers pouring from her eyes. It was almost my undoing. My mind rebelled at denying her, but I knew I couldn't stay. Her attacker was still out there, and I was the only one who knew where it had all happened. I had to take Fairy Tail there; then we could begin the search. We would find the bastard, and then Lucy would be safe.

I leaned down and rested a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly, "Lucy, I have to go to Fairy Tail. I have to show them where you...where it happened."

She stuttered as she fought to speak through her sobs, "I...don't...want to be...alone." She bit her lip before tucking her face in her hands.

I shot a glance at Erza and Gray, watching as they leaned toward each other, speaking quietly. Their faces turned back to address me, Gray giving a short nod, adding, "I'll stay; I'm not leaving her here." His lip curled and he spat, "Besides, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to be at the guild right now."

It didn't take a genius to realize he was still furious with Natsu. I pushed the subject of the Fire Dragon Slayer to the back of my mind. To my thinking, there were much more important things than him.

I sat on Lucy's bed, facing her, and gently pulled her hands away from her face. She didn't fight my hands, but she didn't lift her head either. She seemed so defeated. I sighed, "Lucy, you're not going to be alone. Gray will be here, okay?"

She raised her head a bit, biting her lip nervously, and looked toward the Ice Mage, her expression one of guilt. I knew immediately where the guilt came from, and by the understanding look on Gray's face, I could see that he did too. He was like her brother, but he was still a man. She wasn't yet comfortable enough to be around a man alone, but she didn't want to hurt him by saying so. I released her hands and stood, as Gray came forward.

Gray gave her a small smile, brushing her hair from her face and shook his head at her worries. "Stop Lucy, you're my Little Sis. Whatever you need is okay," he told her reassuringly, "Don't be afraid to say it."

Her eyes filled again, but she managed to hold the tears at bay. "Can I have Loke here too?" she asked timidly, averting her eyes, as if in shame.

Gray's hand tugged her face toward him, saying, "Look at me Lucy." When his eyes finally captured hers, he spoke again, "Don't you dare feel bad for asking for what you need. You know I'd give anything to help you, and if Loke would make you feel better, then that's exactly what I want to happen."

I instantly felt better, knowing that Gray was going to be here. _He's the perfect choice, putting her comfort before his own. _I still wasn't thrilled about leaving, but it was unavoidable; at least now, I knew Lucy would be in good hands. Between Gray and her Lion Spirit, she would be completely protected. I opened the drawer of the table beside her bed, and pulled out a set of keys. Her eyes quickly found the source of the jingling sound, and a smile found it's way onto her battered face. I felt a similar smile pull at my mouth at her uninhibited reaction. It was tiny glimpse of the Lucy she must have been before this horrible ordeal.

I handed the ring of keys to her and she immediately found that of her Lion. Lucy wasted no time raising the item in front of her, calling softly, "Gate of the Lion, I open thee. Leo"

A brilliant light burst into the room, and as it faded away, there stood her strongest Spirit. His face lit up as his eyes landed on Lucy, his legs swiftly carrying him to her side. I watched as the man in a suit threw his arms around the bedridden girl, and I felt myself getting angry. _Didn't he realize that he couldn't move that quickly? He was going to scare her_! My eyes widened a bit as I noticed that Lucy wasn't freaking out; in fact, she was relaxing in his arms. I was completely stumped as to why she was reacting differently with him, until I remembered that he'd been with her when she was attacked. He'd fought for her, so her trust with him was absolute. I released my tense muscles, and nodded. Yes, this one and Gray were right for the job.

Gray's mouth turned up at the sight of Lucy so happy. I could see a small twinge of sadness in his eyes, but it only made me think better of him. I knew it must be difficult to see her so comfortable with her Spirit, and know that it would still take a while for the same to be true for him, but he was still grateful that she felt that safe with someone, even if it wasn't him. I briefly wondered if he felt the same way about me. I didn't know exactly why Lucy acted the same way with me as she did with Loke, but I was suddenly very thankful that she did. Of course, I didn't really understand that either, so I just brushed it off. It was there, and it was real; right now, I didn't need to understand it.

Erza stepped back into Lucy's view, "I'd like to send Wendy to see if she can help you heal faster. I'm sure Levy will be wanting to come as well. Would that be okay, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded her head a few times, yawning as she looked up at me. I stared back as those eyes, the color of chocolate, began watering again. She swallowed a few times, before asking timidly, "A-are you coming back?"

I tried to find the words to tell her I couldn't, that I had to return to my own life. The silence grew as I continued to just stand there. I tried to force the words out. I felt Sting's eyes on me, waiting for me to tell her no. I tried to tell myself that she had her guild, her friends, but my throat closed at the thought of walking away. It was as if my body was unconsciously demanding that I stay, that I ignore reason and logic, and just stay. If I walked away, I'd be in a constant conflict with myself. Memories suddenly welled up in my mind, flooding my senses. The feel of Lucy's body in my arms, her blood running down my arms and chest. The sound of her broken voice crying out for me. The sight of the light dying in her eyes._ I can't do it; I can't go away and leave her to pick up the pieces without me. _The idea almost made me physically sick.

I looked down at the floor, needing a moment to compose myself. The strength of these overwhelming emotions was staggering. It took me a moment to realize that everyone's eyes were latched onto me, listening for my answer. I knew my life was about to change; there was no way it could stay the same after this decision. All I could determine at this moment in time was that Lucy needed me, and I was not going to let her down. I lifted my eyes to meet hers again and said the only thing I could live with, "Yes."

She sucked in a deep shuddering breath, her eyes blinking back tears rapidly. I stared at her trembling lips lifted in a small smile, and everything that had tightened in my chest, suddenly released and I could breath easy again. I knew I had made the right choice; I would be there for her, whatever she needed. I had no answers to all the questions of why; I had only my instincts to fall back on. I had never gone against them before, and I wasn't about to start now. I turned toward Sting, seeing a look of total unbelief on his face. This was not going to go over well. I kept my expression blank and faced Erza saying, "We should go now."

She nodded briefly before calling to Lucy, "I'll be back to see you soon." Lucy's lips lifted a bit, as she nodded her assent. Erza then walked to the door, and glancing at me, said,"I'll meet you at Fairy Tail, Rogue." She walked through determinedly, her mind seemingly already on the job at hand.

I looked to see Sting holding the door open, an unfathomable expression on his face, as he waited for me. "I'll be back," I said simply as I followed him out, my gaze locking with Lucy's one last time, before I closed the door. I walked down the hallway silently, an equally quiet Sting at my side, and wondered how long it would take for my friend to explode, because there was no doubt it was coming.

**Sting's POV**

I was pissed; there was no other way to say it. _What the fuck does he think he's doing?_ I couldn't fathom what was going through his head. He told me this was just about finding the guy who'd attacked that chick, but now, all of a sudden, he's coming back! What the hell was he going to do about Minerva? And what was with the vague, "I'll be back"? How long was he planning on babysitting this girl?! I could feel my anger rising as we continued down the hallway, but I tried to keep my shit together until we got out of the hospital. Then, I was going to kick his ass for being so fucking stupid!

Suddenly a voice called out, "Mr. Cheney!" We stopped, and I could see a doctor coming towards us. Rogue held a hand up to me, as if to say _wait_, before walking back down the hall to meet the man in the white coat. The doctor seemed relieved to see my partner, and was motioning with his hands as he spoke. I couldn't hear much of the conversation, but the doctor's words occasionally went loud enough for me to catch, "...glad...back...rough night...sedate..." Rogue nodded his head a few times, his face solemn. The doctor continued, "explained...boyfriend...reaction...she was..." Suddenly, Rogue's face went white, and he stumbled back. He looked horrified, as the doctor shook his head, "...didn't tell...sorry...take time..." Rogue stood stock still, the same look of devastation on his face, as the man walked away. _What the hell just happened?_

I headed towards my friend, and as I got closer, I could hear him whispering, "Not again..." He abruptly slumped against the wall, his hands clenching his knees. "Rogue..." I reached out to grab his shoulder, and he jolted, looking up as though shocked at the contact. "Rogue, what the fuck is going on?" I asked, worried. I'd never seen him like this. This was not him, not the Rogue I knew. _What could have possibly put that look into his eyes?_ He didn't seem to hear anything I was saying, instead continuing to mumble things like," This can't be happening..."

I shook him roughly, trying to knock him out of whatever had hold of him. "Rogue!" I shouted loudly, when him shaking failed to wake him from his stupor. I had all but forgotten my earlier pique; now I just wanted him to snap out of it and talk to me. His eyes finally cleared of the fog that had swallowed him and latched onto mine. His face was still pale and strained. "Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?"

He blinked a few times, as though waking from a long sleep, and finally spoke, so softly I almost couldn't catch it, "She...was raped."

"Damn..." I released a breath at his news. _God, it wasn't enough to beat the fuck out of her?_ His eyes were so haunted, once again looking right through me, as if seeing something else entirely. _What was this?_ I could understand being upset, pissed even, but the look in his eyes...something else was going on. Then I remembered what he was saying before and asked, "Rogue, what did you mean – not again?"

His eyes shot up to mine, and then his face closed down, his trademark blankness settling over his features. He stood up and reached into his pocket to retrieve the job listing, before handing it to me. "Here, you should get going," he said, his voice empty, as he began walking away.

I shook my head, confused at his rapid change. I felt like I'd been that way since I had woken up; it wasn't even lunch time yet, and already everything was all fucked up. I was aggravated that he was just brushing me off, and suddenly the anger was back. I rushed to catch up and shoved the paper back at him, growling, "Like hell I'm gonna leave after what just happened! What the fuck is wrong with you? You're brushing off Minerva like she's nothing, teaming up with Fairies, hiding shit from me. And for what...some blonde chick you don't even know?"

Rogue came to an abrupt stop and when he turned to me, his eyes were almost glowing. Shadows began seeping out around him, and as he took a step towards me, I could see his barely controlled rage. Astounded at his sudden lack of control and his obvious fury, I took a hesitant step back. Shit, I didn't want to fight him; I just wanted him to start acting like he was supposed to, or at least tell me why. Before I knew what was going on, his hand whipped out, gripping my collar, and jerked me to him. His face a mere two inches away, he grated out, "First off, I don't give a shit right now about Minerva or how you feel about Fairy Tail. And for another thing, that "blonde chick" has a goddamn name, it's Lucy!" He shook his head viciously as he let go of me and finished bitterly, "You have no idea what I know."

He turned and walked away, leaving me staring after him, stupefied. Rogue never showed emotion, he never yelled, he never lost control. Now, in the space of a number of hours, I'd seen him openly worried, completely horrified, and unusually furious. He'd smiled at that girl, Lucy, and he'd gotten physical with me. I didn't know what to do with any of this. A part of me wanted to be pissed at him, but when I thought back to his face after talking to the doctor, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on than what I was seeing. Regardless, he was my friend, and I wasn't going to just bail on him. _Even if the asshole did deserve it_.

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**_A/N: What could Rogue be hiding? How will the guild take it when they learn what really happened? Next chapter, we see from Natsu's eyes as he left the hospital and returned to the guild. Thanks for reading! See you all in the next chapter!_**


	11. A Lot Of Things Different

First things first, I am so sorry it's taken me two weeks to get this chapter out. You guys have been so patient and amazing, so thank you! Now, I realize that this chapter is a bit short compared to the other ones, but I had to cut it here. Anyway, thanks again to all of you amazing people who read, review, follow, and favorite this story. You guys make me want to work hard to make my chapters better! Special thanks to the best Beta ever: **LittleWonderland**. You seriously are completely amazing!

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Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

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**CHAPTER 11: A LOT OF THINGS DIFFERENT**

**Natsu's POV**

I left the hospital, with Gray's words ringing in my ears, 'You did this to her...We almost lost her because of you!' It was the most horrible thing he had ever said to me, and for once in my life, I had no defense against him. For the first time, I had to admit that Gray was right; I had caused all of this heart ache, all of Lucy's pain. I choked on my tears, as I walked aimlessly, thinking of what she had gone through. It made me so sick to think of it all, to know that my name was signed in every mark on her body, in every drop of her blood that was spilled, in every broken place in her heart. I fell to my knees, hunching over as my body rebelled against the truth. I heaved into the grass, until there was nothing left inside me, but the bitter taste of regret. I had never hurt anyone like this before, and I didn't know how I was going to live with the horror of knowing that it was Lucy, who had suffered at my hand.

I stood up, making my way towards the guild; there was no point in hiding what I had done. I wouldn't be a coward; I would take what I had earned from them. I had hurt one of our family, and I deserved whatever I got. I just didn't know how to tell them that Lucy had been hurt far worse than any of them knew. They didn't know she'd been raped, and I had to be the one to tell them. Then, I would have to tell them it all happened because of me. I didn't know if they were ever going to forgive me, but it didn't matter, because I knew I'd never be able to forgive myself. I'd never be able to wipe the memory of her broken body and her agonizing screams from my mind. I'd never forget that I had a hand in breaking her.

I looked up as I realized that I hadn't been paying attention where I was going, and found myself in front of the Sakura tree I had once dug up for Lucy. I felt fresh tears flood my eyes at all I had destroyed, and my fist shot out, smashing into the massive tree. I hit the rough bark as hard as I could over and over again, screaming out all my shame and anger and pain to the sky. I sank to the ground, seeing blood pouring from my hands, and I thought to myself _as it should be_. It should be me, who is broken and bleeding, not Lucy. She hadn't done anything wrong; she was kind, and caring. She thought of everyone before herself, not like me. I was selfish; I was a fool.

I sat there, my heart breaking at the understanding that I had just lost my best friend. She didn't want me near her anymore, and I couldn't blame her. Lucy's words came back to haunt me, 'Rogue has been more loyal to me in the last day than you have Natsu'. I couldn't seem to stop the hideous words, visiting me like a broken record, and I realized that she was right. She was so completely right. I had been so stupid, thinking I was handling things well. I had been too focused on myself, trying to figure out why I felt so strongly about Lisanna. I hadn't stopped to think about what Lucy would feel like once she found out that I had been doing all of it behind her back. I never thought I was actually cheating; I hadn't intended to do anything like that. _Everyone at the guild was right; I am an idiot._

I sat against the tree for a long while, thinking over all that had happened to bring me to this place. I suppose it had to go back all the way to when Lisanna and I were kids. I loved her so much, and when she had "died", it was like a part of me died with her. Then Lucy came along and I finally felt like I could move on, like maybe, I could be happy again. Then, all of a sudden, Lisanna was back, and everything changed. Looking at her, I got so confused. I was with Lucy, and I loved her, but there was something between me and Lisanna too. I didn't know what it all meant, but Lisanna and I had always been close, so we started spending time together. It wasn't just us either; Happy was with us a lot too, and it felt just like it did before she had disappeared. Then, one day, a simple, innocent hug somehow turned into a kiss, and everything in me felt like it had finally found home. We both backed away immediately, but the damage was done. It couldn't be erased or forgotten; I finally knew. I wasn't in love with Lucy; I was in love with Lisanna. I had always been in love with her.

Lisanna had cried and apologized for the kiss, running off before I could say anything, but I couldn't leave it there. I knew I'd never be able to just go back to the way things were. It would be a lie, and I couldn't pretend, now that I knew the truth. I found her at the guild later that day and asked her to come by my house the next day, so we could talk the whole thing out. She fought the idea, but in the end, I convinced her to come. I left shortly thereafter for dinner with Lucy, and I tried to act like everything was fine. I hated the deception, but I needed to work things out with Lisanna first. So, I carried on like usual, which strangely enough wasn't hard to do. Lucy was easy to talk to, and I would always love her as my best friend. Still, I fought the guilt, as I slipped out of the window to head home, telling myself that tomorrow, everything would be fixed.

The next day, Lisanna and I spent a long time talking everything over, and when I told her how I felt, she admitted that she loved me too. We both felt as if we'd been given a second chance, and we weren't about to let it slip away again. We walked out of the house, making the decision to tell Lucy and hope that she'd understand. I knew it would hurt her, but I couldn't see any other path. I wanted to be with Lisanna, and I couldn't stay with Lucy just to avoid hurting her. It was going to be horrible, any way I looked at it, so the best option was to just be honest with her. So, after sharing a kiss, we returned to the guild to wait for Lucy. Little did we know that Lucy had heard our conversation and everything would soon be destroyed beyond repair.

I stood up, dragging a hand across my face, before resuming my trek to the guild, my mind continuing to race. I had tried to do the right thing, but it was obvious that I had gone about this all wrong. I realized now, that I should have been honest with Lucy the night we'd had dinner. I should have just told her about the first kiss immediately; maybe if I had done that, she wouldn't be in the hospital, hurt and afraid of everyone. She would have still been angry and hurt by what I'd done, but I can't help but think that she would have eventually forgiven me. Now, as it stands, I didn't think that would ever be possible. Every bad thing that had happened to her in the last 24 hours came from that one conversation where I broke her heart._ How could I possibly come back from that?_ My eyes filled again at the overwhelming impossibility of Lucy and I ever being friends again.

Arriving at the double doors that led into the guild, I acknowledged I had truly lost her. I stood there, knowing I'd lost her by not knowing what I really wanted from her, by not being honest with her, and by moving on before I had settled things with her. I had been acting like a child, making decisions while considering only what I wanted. I pushed the doors open to the view of a packed guild. It was time to stop being a self centered child, time to grow up and be a man. I made it a few feet into the room, hearing a few gasps as they finally got a look at me. Looking around the room, I saw Lisanna heading towards me, and catching her eye, I shook my head. She stalled, looking worried and confused, but I couldn't stop to explain right now. I had something to do.

**Mira's POV**

I'd never seen Natsu look so horrible, his eyes swollen and still wet with tears. I wondered how much of an indication it was of Lucy's condition. My eyes found their way to his ruined hands, watching the steady drip of his blood on the floor. He seemed wholly unconcerned with it. It was easy to see he was devastated, and my heart went out to him.

"Where's Gramps?" he croaked, sounding as if his throat was closing up. His eyes scanned the room, before spotting who he was looking for coming through the crowd.

"Natsu," Master said cautiously, walking closer to the distraught man, "What's happened?"

I watched as the pink haired man bowed his head, tears slipping from his face, as he sobbed, "It's my fault, Gramps. It's all because of me."

"Why would you say that?" Master asked confused, as the doors were opened a second time to reveal my ex-rival. I watched as her face contorted into rage at the sight of Natsu, and suddenly an armored fist connected with his face, sending him flying across the room into a wall.

"You sorry son of a bitch!" Erza shouted, requiping a sword, as she started towards him again, "You will pay for what you've done!"

I couldn't believe what I was seeing; sure, Erza got mad at Natsu all the time, but this was different. She was beyond furious about something that none of us seemed to be aware of. This didn't look like her regular punishment for him; she was out for blood. Natsu was also acting out of character; he was just sitting where he fell, waiting on her as if he didn't care if she killed him. _I'm so confused._

"Erza!" Master yelled, using his Titan voice to gain her attention, "What is going on?!"

She stopped as his words reached her, turning to look at his confounded face, and said with barely concealed anger, "It's his fault Lucy got hurt." She searched the room, before stopping to point her sword at my sister and spat venomously, "His and hers!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked hesitantly, watching Lisanna's face scrunch up in confusion, then go white with dismay. My stomach twisted up in knots; something was very wrong.

Just then, the doors burst open a third time, admitting the twin dragon slayers from Sabertooth. Their eyes roamed the room, before the blonde one, Sting Eucliffe stepped forward to sneer at the fire dragon slayer on the floor, "She means that Lucy caught Pinky and that chick over there playing tonsil hockey, and literally ran right into trouble."

Gasps erupted through the room as the entire guild turned our heads to look at Natsu and Lisanna in shock. They both turned away, guilt staining their faces. I couldn't wrap my mind around the thought that they had hurt Lucy like that, going behind her back, cheating. _What the hell were they thinking?_ And the fact that it had resulted in her getting attacked did not sit well with me. I could feel the burn to let my Satan Soul out to play, but with Erza barely containing her wrath, I knew one of us had to stay calm.

The dark haired mage, Rogue Cheney, glanced over to him with a look of warning, "Sting..." He then turned to the leader of our guild, saying, "Master Makarov, I need to speak with you about something before we head out."

"Is this about Lucy? Has something else happened?" Master asked, concern filling his voice.

Rogue simply nodded his head, to which Master replied, "Then speak up. We're her family, so you can tell us all."

"Very well," the shadow dragon slayer announced, "I don't know if any of you know this yet. I was only informed by the doctor this morning as we were leaving to come here." We looked at him expectantly, as he took a deep breath, before continuing, "Apparently, when Lucy was attacked by that...that man," he snarled angrily, "she was...she was..."

I watched as he struggled to form the words, his face beginning to go white and his hands clenching. His friend looked over anxiously, before turning to finish Rogue's statement. "He means, your girl was raped," he stated matter-of-factly, as the guild exploded in a cacophony of furious shouting, mournful weeping, and vicious growling.

Above all was the sound of Erza's vehement scream, and her eyes sought out her prey. Sword in hand, she marched her way towards the fire mage, seemingly forgetting everyone but him. Before she could reach him, a large hand closed around her body, pulling her away from Natsu, as he watched utterly defeated. My hand covered my mouth, trying to hold back the wail that had been building in my throat. The red-head thrashed in the Master's hand, fighting to get back to the man she was after.

Master cried openly, as he shouted, "That's enough, Erza! Stop!"

"No! It isn't enough!" She screeched before collapsing in tears, sobbing, "It will never be enough..."

I ran to her side, as Master released her, and gathered her shaking form in my arms. We sat in the floor and cried on each others' shoulders, as she whimpered, "He has to pay..." I could understand her anger at Natsu, as I was fighting my own at both him and Lisanna. It was beginning to feel like our guild was being torn apart, piece by piece. I could feel the hope, that we would one day be the same again, slowly slipping away, and I mourned the family we had been. We weren't supposed to hurt one another this way.

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**_A/N: I was a bit worried about Mira and Erza here, but my Beta says they're just fine, so I'm gonna go with it! Hope you guys enjoyed it, and please tell me how you feel about Natsu now. Next chapter - time to visit the site of Lucy's attack. Who will go on the team? What will their reactions be? How will Rogue handle seeing it in daylight? All these questions...you'll find out soon! Promise! See you next time!_**


	12. Hunt You Down

_Oh well, here we go again. So sorry guys! I hate to update so late, but it seems like I can never update quicker than every two weeks. This time, I've kept you waiting for nearly three. I'll keep trying to do this faster, but with three stories, it can be a bit difficult. Anyway, thanks for being so patient and just generally being awesome by reviewing and following and all that fun stuff. Thanks for my super fantastic Beta **LittleWonderland**. She makes sure the things I write are perfect for you guys! _

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_Hiro Mashima is the owner of Fairy Tail, not me. So sad..._

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**CHAPTER 12: HUNT YOU DOWN**

**Rogue's POV**

I tried to steel myself as I led the unlikely group of mages towards the site of Lucy's attack. I had seen it already, but it was one thing to know what's there, and another think entirely to see in broad daylight. I had this horrible notion that I wasn't ready enough to go back. However, that didn't seem to matter, as I would be going whether I was ready or not. Many hours had come and gone since I'd rescued Lucy from the sick man who called himself Tatankan. He could very well be far from here, which of course would mean a long drawn out search. I brushed aside my rumination; I'd be here for the duration, no matter how long it took. I would not leave until Lucy was completely safe.

I looked back at the ragtag collection of people following me, and marveled at the sheer number of people who were willing to drop everything to avenge their comrade. It struck me once again how different things were for the Fairies than the life I had become accustomed to at Sabertooth. At our guild, it was pretty much kill or be killed, every man for himself. There were a few exceptions, such as Sting and myself, but for the most part, we didn't care for each other. We just all happened to belong to the same guild; we weren't friends, and we certainly weren't a family. Looking at all the faces behind me, I knew without a doubt, that Lucy had that. She would never be alone, never have to fear abandonment for not being strong enough. She was accepted by those in her guild, just for being who she was. I wondered what that would be like, to simply live, with no threat hanging over your head. I couldn't even fathom that type of existence.

I was drawn from my internal musings by Sting, who had adamantly refused to leave before joining me on this excursion. I couldn't figure out why he was still here; it wasn't as if I had been easy on him earlier. Although a part of me regretted lashing out at him, I couldn't find any other way to make him understand that he needed to drop the issue. I didn't want him digging into that particular piece of my past; no one was allowed there. That was my own shame and grief, it belonged to no one else. They could not understand, so there was no point.

"How far do we have, Rogue?" Sting questioned, as he pulled along side me and matched my pace.

I glanced over to him, careful to show nothing of my thoughts on my face, and replied, "It is not much farther." I kept it short and to the point, as I did not feel like talking. I was beginning to feel a knot in my stomach, growing larger with each step we took. I was more than a little apprehensive about seeing and smelling Lucy's blood again. I also wasn't looking forward to seeing the Fairies reactions to it; this was going to be harsh.

As we walked, I could hear Erza talking softly to a woman with green hair, who carried a gun like she knew just how to use it, and a man, also carrying guns. Beside them walked a man whose head was covered with a metal visor, a green haired man, who specialized in runes, a stern looking woman with glasses, and Laxus. In another small group, walked the Demon's brother, a man with orange hair pulled into a pony tail, and the mage who would connect us with Makarov through telepathy. Lastly, trailing behind everyone else, was Gajeel, his Exceed, and the Fairy Tail water mage.

I didn't think we needed this many people to hunt down one mage, but they had all insisted on coming. The entire guild had tried to join us on our trek, but the master had finally put his foot down, and narrowed the group down to the ones who would be most successful against our foe. Natsu had also been denied admittance when he'd tried to join the hunt. He, along with the white-haired girl, were to stay behind with the guild master and the Demon, apparently to discuss the situation they had found themselves in.

I took a steadying breath as we neared the alley, saying as flatly as I could, "It's just up ahead. You should prepare yourselves."

I heard my fellow dragon slayers take a deep whiff, before Laxus offered in a strangely quiet voice, "Damn."

"It's bad, isn't it?" Gajeel questioned, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

I met their eyes briefly, nodding my head, before leading them into the mouth of the alley where Lucy had fallen. "From what I could tell, this is where she was first accosted." We continued on, each face reflecting my apprehension, until we were faced with the visible proof of her attack. A collective gasp went up around me as I felt bile rise in my throat. Everything in me wanted to find some secluded corner and retch, but I held myself together, somehow knowing if I began, I would find it difficult to quit. I turned my head towards the others, more to escape the sight of Lucy's blood painting the wall than anything else. Unfortunately, the sight behind me wasn't much better.

The green haired girl was on her knees, her body expelling everything in her system, as the man she'd been walking with held her hair and spoke softly to her, his own tears making tracks down his face. Erza had a hand over her mouth, trying in vain to muffle her ragged cries. Laxus was clenching his fists, while the Rune mage stood frozen in shock. The brown-haired girl grasped Laxus's arm while tears slipped down her cheeks. The odd one ripped off his helmet, turning his back to the rest of us. My eyes found similar reactions with the others, anger, shock, sadness. They were struck hard with this, just as I knew they'd be. They had all heard what had happened, but it wasn't the same as seeing it. It could never be the same as seeing your friend's blood strewn around as if someone was attempting a splatter paint picture.

I cleared my throat to get their attention, before speaking in a calm manner, "I know it's horrible, but we must focus on finding the one responsible." I kept my voice smooth, though my insides were writhing in agony of being here again. I didn't want to have this in my memory. The memories I already had of that night were already too much.

Gajeel spoke up with a growl as he neared the wall, where Lucy had been tied, "That sick fuck's gonna pay."

Laxus, Sting, and I made our way towards him and the nearly dry patch of blood at the base of the brick wall. Gajeel reached out a hand, pulling a length of rope from a looped spike in the wall. He looked at each of us, asking, "You all know what Bunny Girl smells like?"

"Bunny Girl?" Sting asked, oddly subdued.

Laxus turned to Sting, clarifying, "He means Lucy," before grabbing the rope and drawing in the scents.

Sting shook his head, as I answered for both of us, "We only know what she smells like now, but it's more of a mixture of her scent and all sorts of other smells."

"She smells like fucking strawberries," Gajeel groused again, before taking the rope from Laxus and shoving it into my hands.

I brought the rope up to my nose, searching first for the scent that Gajeel had described, and finding it, began to investigate the other smell imbedded in the rough texture. After I'd found what I was looking for, I handed it over to Sting, who repeated the entire process. Once the scent was firmly entrenched in our minds, we began searching the area. The others looked on as we headed back towards the entrance to the alley, trying to sort through the myriad smells.

Laxus grumbled, as he allowed the area's stench to waft into his nose, "Damn, this place fucking stinks."

"Hey, I've got something," Sting called, as we all left off looking to join him. I inhaled deeply, before nodding my head curtly.

Gajeel yelled for the others, and we set off, following the faint trail of the bastard who'd harmed Lucy. He had a head start on us, but that wouldn't change the outcome of this. His life was forfeit, and it had been so from the moment he'd laid his hands on her. It was simply a matter of time before we found him, and then, he would pay.

**Natsu's POV**

I was feeling really pissed at the moment, being left out of the hunt for Lucy's attacker. I knew why I had been held back, and even though I wanted to be there to kill the bastard who'd done that to her, I understood the reasoning. That didn't make it any easier to be denied, and it didn't make the upcoming conversation any easier. Mira had been calm before compared to Erza, but now that the group had left to search, she was beginning to show definite signs of her own ire. I looked around the room to find all the people I'd always called my friends turning their eyes away in a mixture of disappointment and disgust. My eyes pricked with tears as I was faced again with the consequences of my actions; I had effectively cut myself off from my family. I sighed as I felt my hope falter in the face of such opposition; this would easily be the hardest fight I'd ever faced.

"Natsu and Lisanna, upstairs please," Gramps said, his face and voice showing his weariness, as he trudged up the steps to his office.

I glanced beside me to see Lisanna walking quietly with her head down, her sister following just behind her. I faced forward again and wondered suddenly if this was how it felt to be led to your own execution. I gulped loudly, before stepping through the doorway and sliding into a chair to face Master. Lisanna sat in the chair to my left, while Gramps hopped up on top of the desk, Mira standing to the side.

Mirajane stared at us, as Master began to speak, "I'd like an explanation, now. It's not like the two of you to hurt others in such a way."

"Master, it isn't like it sounds," Lisanna pleaded, tears slipping down her cheeks in tandem, "We weren't sneaking around to cheat. We had just been spending time together like old times, just as friends..."

Gramps nodded as if to encourage her to continue, and she took a breath, before saying, "We had unknowingly begun to fall in love with each other, and then one day, we hugged and it just happened. We kissed, but we immediately pulled apart."

I picked up there, adding the next part to the story, "It was too late to go back for me though; I finally realized that I wasn't in love with Lucy. I couldn't stay with her knowing that I was in love with Lisanna. So, we talked it out the next day and decided that we would tell Lucy later that day the whole truth. We weren't trying to do something wrong. We thought we were doing the right thing."

The small man stood there watching us for a moment, before responding, "Why did Sting say that Lucy caught the two of you kissing?"

Lisanna shook her head, shrugging her shoulders, as I felt mine droop, and said sadly, "That's apparently how she found out about me and Lisanna. She was coming to my house when Lisanna and I were having our talk, and as we were leaving, Lucy saw us kiss."

I looked over to the girl beside me as she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh, no. She must have heard us say we loved each other, Natsu. Oh God, I didn't want to hurt her like this. It's all wrong." Lisanna cried pitifully.

Suddenly Mira came forward, breaking her silence to say, "I'm glad you two weren't planning to continue this behind Lucy's back, but I don't like any of it. The two of you should have backed away from each other when you started feeling things for each other. You should have taken the time to figure out what those feelings were before something happened, and you shouldn't have spent more time with each other with so much unsure between you."

Makarov nodded sagely, "The two of you shouldn't have kissed when you were still involved with someone else, Natsu. Even if you were planning on breaking things off with Lucy, you should have never gone any further. Lucy didn't deserve that kind of disloyalty from either of you. You've caused a break in our family with your immaturity."

"I can't believe you two would be so insensitive to what this would feel like to Lucy. Natsu, you're the one who brought her here, and Lisanna, she's been nothing but supportive of your friendship with Natsu. How could you both not understand how hard this would hit her? I'm not saying you should have stayed with her if you didn't love her, Natsu, but you guys handled this whole thing badly."

We sat there listening to their words, both us of crying as we thought of how we had hurt our _nakama_. I suddenly realized all the different ways I could have handled this. There would have been no way to avoid hurting Lucy when I broke things off with her, but I could have left with my honor intact. She would have known that I had been nothing but faithful to her. Now, my ignorance had caused this rift with not only her, but with the rest of my guild mates. There was no telling how long it would take before they found it in their hearts to forgive us. I just hoped that one day, they would, because it would kill something inside me to lose my family in such a way.

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**_A/N: Well, this chapter is a bit on the short side, so I apologize. I hope it was to your liking, and that you'll forgive the shortness and lateness of my update. I promise I'll make the next one better. Thanks for being awesome, and I'll see you in the next chapter! _**


	13. Nothing

_So sorry this chapter has been such a long time in coming. Let's just chalk it up to crazy life getting in the way of my writing. Good news? The craziness is gone, so now maybe I can update faster now! Huge shout out to my Beta - the best in the world, **LittleWonderland**. And thanks to all of you out there - the ones who follow, favorite, and review! Much love to you all!_

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_Hiro Mashima is the owner of the amazing Fairy Tail world and characters. I just love putting them into rough spots, and making them fall in love!_

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_**CHAPTER 13: NOTHING**_

**Levy's POV**

I entered the hospital with Wendy at my side, the sound of our footsteps punctuating the silence that had followed us since we left the guild. I was beyond nervous to see my best friend. From what Erza had said, I wasn't sure if Lucy would be happy to see me or not. It would be so hard not to rush forward with a hug, but Erza had warned rather stringently about that.

I tried to shape the girl I knew into the picture the red-haired girl had laid out for me, but my mind wouldn't accept it. I simply couldn't imagine her as anything, but a bright, smiling, happy Lucy. And that's what was worrying me. I didn't want to go in there and react in a way that made her uncomfortable, but I honestly didn't know how to prepare myself. I knew how her condition had been described, but those were just words. My eyes had yet to see it, so my brain refused to process it.

We started down the hall on the 4th floor, following Erza's directions easily, and before long stopped in front of the door to Lucy's room. I hesitated, my hand hovering over the door knob, as I tried to collect myself. Wendy looked over at me in question, so I nodded my head at her and pushed my way into the room. I stopped just inside the door, as Gray's head came up to level me with a small smile. He raised a finger to his lips, and pointed to the bed.

I turned to get my first glimpse of the girl I called best friend, and threw a hand over my mouth to cover the gasp I felt rising. Tears pricked my eyes, as I took in the sight of her battered face, and whispered, "Oh, Lu-chan..." She was curled up into a man, who I could see instantly was Loke. He was lying stretched out on the bed with her head resting on his chest, as his arms hugged her tight.

I heard a sniff behind me, and reaching back, I grabbed Wendy and pulled her to my side. Tears were slipping down her cheeks as she tried uselessly to wipe them away. Gray stood and drew up next to Wendy, leaning down to whisper, "She's going to be okay, especially now that you're here."

Wendy squared her shoulders and faced the bed, as Loke's eyes popped open to look at us. He offered a tired looking grin, before waving us over. We walked over to the side of the bed, and Wendy lifted her hands to hover over Lucy, as her magic began to move over the still girl's body. Loke breathed, "Thanks for coming, Wendy. She won't admit it, but she's hurting a good bit. She won't let them give her something for the pain."

The sky dragon slayer scrunched her brow in question, "Why won't she take anything?"

"She won't say, but I suspect she's afraid she'll have nightmares and not be able to wake up," the orange-haired man sighed, as he looked down at the blonde in his arms sadly.

Wendy nodded sagely, as her hands moved steadily, before her eyes once again began watering. She took a shuddering breath as she looked up at the man holding her friend, and simply cried. I laid a hand on her arm, asking softly, "How bad is it, Wendy?"

She looked up at me, stuttering, "I-it's horrible. W-what he did to her is s-so horrible. T-the damage..."

"Can you heal her," Gray asked, cutting her off from going deeper into her description. I imagined he couldn't handle any more.

"I can heal much of it, but I'm afraid there's nothing much I can do for the s-scars. He just cut too d-deep," she muttered, as her eyes continued leaking.

My fell at her words, knowing the physical reminder would make it even harder for Lucy to move on from her horrific experience. Wendy continued her healing, as our silence permeated the room. Suddenly, sound erupted as Lucy began screeching in her sleep. She flailed her arms, fighting to get Loke's arms away from her.

"No! No! Let me go!" she yelled as she swatted her would-be captor's arms away.

Loke tried to hold her down before she could harm herself, frantically calling her name, as Gray, Wendy, and I looked on, helpless and horrified. She bucked against him, crying out in desperation, seemingly unable to hear Loke's voice. It was like her mind was trapped in her nightmare, and nothing Loke said or did could bring her out. In fact, it actually seemed to make it worse.

Suddenly, Gray rushed forward to command, "Let her go, Loke. You're making her panic more."

"But she's going to hurt herself!" the lion Spirit sputtered, his voice full of confusion.

Gray shook his head, yelling, "Loke, let go - that's why she's freaking out! You aren't going to calm her down that way! She doesn't know who's touching her!"

Loke paused for a moment, before heeding Gray's words, and slipping from the bed, left Lucy hysterically thrashing on her own. I watched as his eyes took on a mournful sheen, and felt my heart break. I hugged myself as I shot a teary gaze at Gray and Loke. This was worse than I had expected. How could she possibly learn to live with this, if her dreams were consumed with the man who'd harmed her? How could we help her if we couldn't even get near her?

"Rogue...No...want Rogue..." she whimpered as she quieted down, her form slumping down into a haphazard pile on the bed.

Gray edged closer to the blonde, calling to her softly. He continued talking to her until she raised her head and fixed the dark-haired man with a watery stare. She opened her mouth a few times, before the words managed to ease themselves out, "G-Gray, I want Rogue. I just want R-Rogue..." Her voice trailed off as she curled into herself and began rocking back and forth.

We needed Rogue; she was calling for him, after all. Maybe he could do what we could not.

**Warren's POV**

"Damn! How the hell does he keep eluding us like it?!" Laxus growled, his face a mask of fury.

We had been following the trail of the man who had attacked Lucy all over Magnolia, and had just stopped for a short break. He never once left the city, but he'd been looping and circling around the area as if he'd known that he'd be tailed. Everyone's nerves were just about shot. We had no idea where Lucy's attacker was taking us, and his ever-winding trail was making it all but impossible to hazard a guess. This definitely wasn't going the way we'd planned so far.

"Warren, please give Master an update on our progress, or rather lack of progress, I should say," Erza rasped out, tension evident in her posture.

I nodded my head briefly, touching my hand to my temple, as I reached out to Master's mind. The connection snapped into place, and I called his name.

"Perfect timing, Warren. I need to speak with Rogue at once," Makarov fired back, his voice anxious.

Turning, I scanned through the scattered group and found the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "Rogue! Master wants to talk to you - sounds urgent!" I yelled to him over the noise of the grumpy mages. The sound grew silent as my words rang out, each person suddenly facing me, seeming to know that something was amiss.

Rogue walked closer, asking somewhat nervously, "What do I need to do?"

"No need to do anything; I'll connect you to him. Just don't fight me; it's a little unsettling at first," I explained quickly.

I reached out to his mind as gently as I could, knowing how disconcerting it could be the first time. A few moments later, and the two were ready to talk. "Go ahead, Master," I thought.

Rogue jolted a bit as Makarov's voice made its way down the path. "Rogue, I need you to come back as soon as possible. Levy has just returned from the hospital; things are not good at the moment," he said, gravely.

Rogue straightened immediately, as he spoke, not just in his mind, but aloud for everyone to hear, "What's happened to Lucy?"

The others crowded closer, as if to somehow hear the conversation taking place in our minds.

"She apparently had a nightmare and began fighting Loke. She won't take comfort from anyone, won't let anyone near her. She's asking for you. At this point, I believe you're the only one she'll allow to help her," Master answered.

I watched as the man clenched his jaw, worry on his face for all to see. "I understand. I will leave immediately."

Master breathed a sigh of relief, and ended his conversation with the man. I hurried to tell Makarov of our rather frustrating difficulty finding the man responsible for Lucy's condition. Disappointment clear in his voice, the old man instructed me to call our group back to the guild, as it was getting late. Besides,this man didn't appear to be leaving the area any time soon. Why the fool was staying close by was anyone's guess, but it made very little sense to me. _What could he be doing here?_

"Rogue, what's going on with Lucy?" Erza asked, drawing me from my thoughts.

The questioned man partly turned to her, offering a blunt answer, "Lucy's been dreaming about the man who attacked her. She just woke up from one and refuses to let anyone near her. She's asking for me, so I'm leaving."

"We're all leaving, actually," I voiced, as looks of disbelief shot at me from all directions, "Master wants us back at the guild. He doesn't think Lucy's attacker is going anywhere, and he wants a better plan."

Growls went up from all quarters, as everyone packed their meager belongings to head back. I could understand their aggravation, but I also knew where Master was coming from. We had spent an entire day cruising around Magnolia, looking for him. We were wasting time. We weren't going to find him this way. It was wiser to come up with a plan of attack or a trap. We didn't have the time to waste, chasing our tails anymore. That evil man was out there, and Lucy wouldn't be safe, until he was caught.

**Rogue's POV**

"That's fine that you all are heading back, but I'm not waiting. I can move faster in the shadows on my own," I said, as I turned and began walking off. I needed to get moving. It was taking all I had to stop and answer questions, when what I really wanted to do was fade into the shadows and be gone from here. I needed to get to Lucy.

Sting strolled over, looking lost again, and asked, "So, you're serious? You're going to stay?"

I looked at Sting and felt myself losing patience with him. When had I ever been the type to say I was doing something and then do the opposite? Why question me about something I'd already answered? I took a breath, calming myself down, before I replied, "Yes, I am staying. I already told Lucy I'd be back."

"Why are you doing this, Rogue? I just...don't get it," he muttered, looking for the world like someone had told him grass would longer be green.

I knew he was struggling to understand my reasoning, but what could I say? I didn't have all the answers to that question. How could I explain what I didn't fully understand myself. "I don't know how to explain it. You're just going to have to realize that I'm not leaving her until I know she's going to be okay," I said, my blank face firmly intact.

Sting sighed as he shook his head, "I hope you know what you're doing, man. You know what could happen if Minerva catches wind of this. I don't get why this girl is so important to you, but whatever. Call if you need me; I'll have my communications lacrima with me."

A slight tug lifted the side of my lips as I murmured, "Thanks, Sting. Trust me, I know what could happen to me. I just...can't leave yet. And thanks for taking that job for me. I'll keep in touch."

We nodded our goodbyes, and with Fairy Tail watching on, I dissolved into a shadow and shot forward in the direction of the hospital. I flew past trees and building, barely registering that I was moving faster than I normally bothered with. I could feel the anxiety crawling up my throat as I thought of Lucy scared and alone. I knew that she wasn't actually alone in that hospital room, but if she was refusing everyone, she might as well be alone. And that just didn't sit well with me.

I had thought I was doing the right thing by leaving her there with Gray and Loke, and carrying on with the plan to catch the bastard who hurt her, but it was becoming pretty obvious that it hadn't been the best idea. I thought she'd be okay with Loke, seeing as how he was able to get close to her, without her freezing up and freaking out. _I wonder what happened to change that. Was it just the dream?_

I blasted through the hospital doors and took a moment to coalesce into a solid form before rushing upstairs and down the hall to her room. As I got closer, I could hear a small keening sound. It took no time at all to recognize it was Lucy, and it struck me like a physical blow. I pushed open the door and raced inside, my eyes immediately going to the huddled form on the bed. She rocked herself back and forth, as her voice continued its call.

I didn't bother with the other people in the room. They didn't concern me; Lucy was my focus now. After she was okay, then I would worry about them. I quickened my steps to her bedside, and leaned over to speak softly to her, "Lucy, I'm here."

Her head flew up to look at me, and crying out my name, she threw her arms around me. She pressed her face into my chest and sobbed, "Rogue, w-what if he comes back..."

I stood there, shocked, my arms thrown up in the air above her, unsure of what I should do. I hated to see her like this, and I had no idea how to comfort anyone. Still, I had to try. I took a breath, letting my hesitation drift away, and I wrapped my arms around her trembling frame. "He won't hurt you again, Lucy. We won't let him, I promise," I told her, finally glancing up at the trio of people on the other side of the bed.

The little Sky Dragon Slayer seemed shocked to see our interaction, while the Lion Spirit watched us with sad eyes, suddenly reminding me of the man beside him. Loke was obviously running the gauntlet of emotions just like Gray had earlier today. A part of me felt a pang of sympathy, but i also couldn't help being thankful that Lucy had not pushed me aside as well. My arms tightened around her at that thought, and quickly eased off again, when I couldn't figure out why I felt so grateful she still wanted me here. After all, if Lucy pushed me away, then I'd be free to go back to business as usual. Back to my normal life, to Sabertooth. For some reason, that no longer sounded so good.

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**_A/N: Oh, look another sweet RoLu moment. Sigh...makes me so happy. Rogue will always come to her rescue._**


	14. Have Faith In Me

So, here we go, my friends! The update has arrived! Thank you guys so much for continuing to follow this story, for adding it to your faves list, and for leaving reviews to let me know how I'm doing. I love hearing from you all, so don't hesitate to ask questions and whatnot! My beta has been crazy busy, so for now, my work is un-Beta'd, but that doesn't change that she is, in fact, extraordinary! Three cheers for LittleWonderland - if you get a chance, go check out her amazing work!

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Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. However, I am the one who put Lucy is such a sad predicament...

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**CHAPTER 14: HAVE FAITH IN ME**

**Lucy's POV**

I clutched at Rogue's shirt, knowing in my head that what I was doing didn't make sense, but finding it impossible to change it. I knew my friends loved me, I knew they would never hurt me, especially Gray and Loke, but that dream...Suddenly I was back in it, that monster shoving me into the wall, grunting against me as I fought to push him away, but no matter how hard I fought, I couldn't escape the dream just like I couldn't escape him.

I felt a fresh bout of tears pour down my face as the images took hold of my mind. His face swam up from the deep, dark prison I thought I'd locked him in. His eyes so cold and empty, his mouth sneering at my pain, laughing at my screams. The reality kept hitting me of what he'd done to me, and I couldn't face it. I didn't want to know what I was anymore.

He'd taken something from me that I never believed anyone could steal...who I am. It was gone. I didn't know how to laugh anymore. I wasn't sure it was possible after this; what could I possibly find funny in a life such as this? Everything was gone. Not just me, but everything. My relationship with my friends, Natsu, freedom, safety...hope. There was just nothing. Nothing but Rogue.

Somehow he was safe. I breathed in his scent and felt completely safe. I didn't know why, and I didn't really care. He'd come back, just like he said he would, and he was holding me and letting me soak his shirt in my tears. He hadn't been close to me before...this. I didn't know anything about him, other than he'd saved me and I needed him. I needed him to keep the evil away.

Once again, my memory betrayed me, dragging up things I didn't want to see. I couldn't stop them from coming, and I couldn't keep my mouth from echoing my words from...before. "No...no, please. Don't do this. Don't touch me!" I found myself suddenly screeching, and Rogue let go instantly, his face a mask of horror and shock.

I sat dumfounded, hurt that he'd retreated, until he said sadly, "I'm sorry, Lucy. I thought you wanted..."

Then I realized, he thought I was talking about him. "No, no," I shook my head, reaching out for him, and begged, "Don't go. Don't leave me. It wasn't for you. It wasn't you." I bit my lip as he remained out of reach, and crumpled back onto my bed, the anguish rolling over me again. I felt so hopeless; I would never get over this. I'd never get past it, and if Rogue left me now, I didn't think I could go on. The horror would eat me alive. The darkness was coming. I could feel it, and without a doubt, it would swallow me up.

"Lucy," he called, hesitation evident in his voice. I felt the bed dip down as he set his weight beside me, and I looked over to him through my hair. He grasped my chin, raising my face up so he could look at me, and said, "It's okay. I'm not leaving."

I watched his face, waiting for the indecision to show, but it never did. I scooted closer to him, desperately needing the calm he always projected. Maybe he could banish the thoughts in my head. He was like a beacon of peace in front of me, and I found myself unable to hold back. I didn't know why, but I needed him like I needed my next breath. I couldn't do this, be this person, without him.

He leaned back, reclining against the elevated head of the bed, and opened his arms to me. I needed no further prompting, and scrambled into his lap. He sat frozen for a time, as I curled into him, my legs across his legs, arms wrapped around his torso, and my face buried in his chest. Slowly, his arms made their way around me, and I could breath again. My cries tapered off with a shudder, as the tension left my body.

"I won't leave until you're okay," he murmured softly, his mouth moving against my head, so only I could hear.

I sighed, as my future stretched out in front of me, bleak and sad. He didn't understand, that was never going to happen. I didn't know I had spoken the words aloud, a soft mumble, but still, he'd heard it, and his words reached me once again, "Then I will still be here."

His words rushed over me, and I sank into him further, as the last bit of anxiety I'd held washed away on a trickle of hope. He'd given me just the smallest ray of light, and I wondered if that little bit could be enough. The irony was he was the only light I could see, and he was the master of shadows.

**Rogue's POV**

I sat there stunned at her whispered words. It was never going to happen. _Did she honestly believe she'd never be okay?_ Her hopelessness pulled at me, and I found myself offering solace in the only way I knew how. "Then I will still be here." I hadn't thought about it, hadn't considered my words at all in fact. The truth was, the end result remained the same. I knew what things lurked around the bend, and I knew I wouldn't have her face them alone. So, regardless of the unconscious words that had escaped my mouth, I knew they were the truth. The road before her reached out long and hard, and I would walk it with her.

She heaved a sigh as she nuzzled closer to my chest, and I kept her against me as her body went lax. I'd never held another human in my arms in such a way, never offered comfort with my body. I never realized how compelling it would feel to offer that small bit of myself in sacrifice for another. Holding her, it was as if I could now breathe easily. I hadn't even noticed how tense I was until the weight was suddenly gone. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, wrinkling my nose as the scent of the hospital and her blood drifted up from her hair. Her scent, the one that was wholly her, was all but gone in the wake of the other, stronger smells.

The sound of light footsteps approached the bed, reminding me abruptly that we were not alone. I blinked at the small girl moving slowly towards the bed, trying to reform my mask of indifference. Unknowingly, I had given them a glimpse into my soul, and I didn't like that. That wasn't something I was interested in showing them. No one knew those parts of me, not even Sting. Frosch had seen more of me than anyone else, but still she had only seen a fraction of what hid there. There were things that no one else needed to know, things that haunted me every day, things that I'd spent my lifetime trying to forget.

A small voice brought me out of my dark thoughts, and I looked over to the little Dragon Slayer in thanks. "Excuse me, Rogue. S-sorry to bother you," she began, her nerves showing in the shaky sounds she made, "I came here to try to heal Lucy, but when she...um...got upset, I..." Her words came to a halt as she began wringing her hands in worry. Before I could respond, Gray walked up behind her and put his hands on her delicate shoulders, explaining for her, "She wants to try to heal Lucy while you're here with her. She can only do it when Lucy is calm and still."

I nodded my head, before directing my attention to the woman cuddled up to me, and asked, "Lucy, can you handle that?" Although she had shut her eyes some time ago, I knew she was aware of what was going on, and I didn't want her to feel like she had no choice. She'd had enough taken away from her, without all of us making decisions for her. She needed to feel like she had some control over her life, and that was going to be difficult enough without the rest of us adding to it.

Her eyes fluttered open to look up at me, then off to the side, taking in the sight of the blue-haired girl standing next to the bed. Lucy stiffened at seeing her so close, but I tightened my arms, reminding her that I was here. Her muscles relaxed as she gave a quiet response, "Hi Wendy." The petite female lifted her lips in a gentle smile and said, "Hey Lucy. A-are you okay with me trying to heal you? I'll have t-to be close, but I promise I won't touch you."

The blonde moved her head in affirmation, before clenching her eyes tight and shoving her face back into my chest. Her breathing became ragged, her tension growing with every step the young Dragon Slayer took, but she held herself still. Wendy steadied her hands over Lucy's body, moving them in a sweeping motion from her head to her feet. A tear slipped down her cheeks, as her hands began glowing, casting a light over the still form of her patient. With each second that passed, Lucy began to relax her stiff posture, her pain seeming to melt away.

Wendy took a step back with a wavering smile, as Lucy opened her eyes again. I could see that the young healer was trying rather valiantly not to cry while Lucy was watching her, but her efforts proved fruitless as her sad eyes began to leak. "I'm s-sorry" she mumbled before tripping over her feet to leave the vicinity. She came to a halt as Lucy called out to her, in a voice filled with regret, "Wendy, thank you." The blue haired girl nodded once and then promptly rushed from the room.

Gray sighed as he made his way to the door, stopping only long enough to say, "I need to go after her, but I'll come back, Little Sis." As the door shut behind him, Loke stepped forward, uncertainty written all over his face. "I-I'm going to go back for a while, Princess. Call me if you need me." His voice roiled with dejection, and as he turned away, Lucy snaked a hand out and grasped his arm. "Loke, I'm...I'm sorry," she said, fixing him with watery eyes, "I'm sorry I hurt you."

Her head slumped down as she cried, and Loke knelt down before her and swept a hand over her hair. "There's nothing for you to apologize for, Lucy. I'm here when you need me, for whatever you need. If Rogue is the one you need, that's okay too." He leaned forward, and placing a light kiss on the crown of her head, slowly faded away. She sniffed against me for a time, before slowly raising up into a sitting position. "C-can I have some water?" she asked timidly.

I sat up, leaning over the side of the bed to get her cup from the table. Handing it over, I watched as she quickly gulped down the refreshing liquid and lowered the cup into her lap. Facing me, she looked up, fear consuming her brown eyes, and questioned, "If I go to sleep, will you still be here when I wake up?" I took the cup from her hands and placed it back onto the table, before catching her eyes with mine, "I told you that I wasn't leaving, didn't I?"

"Y-yes, but..." she began, stopping when I smoothly cut her off.

"There are no buts to that statement," I said, making sure she understood my intentions, "I said I was staying, and I meant it. Now, how are you feeling?" She seemed to be moving a lot easier than before, but I wanted to be sure that Wendy's healing had done some good for her.

Taking a moment to assess herself, she answered, "My head still hurts some, but everything else feels better."

"Good, now come rest. You may be feeling better, but your body is still going to need time to recuperate," I commanded, waving my hand for her to join me again. She bit her lip slightly, her face turning shy, as she crawled back into her spot beside me. She laid down, curling into my body once again, and began to settle. Silence permeated the room, before being broken by her voice, whispering as if in confession, "Rogue...I'm scared."

Her words pierced my heart and my answer came too suddenly to hold back, "Do you trust me?" I held my breath, waiting for the verdict, hoping for all the world that she affirmed it. Why, I could not understand; I knew only that I wanted her faith more than I'd desired anything else in my life. The answer to this question had somehow become more important to me than I knew how to handle.

She froze in my arms, not daring to move as she thought over my question. Then she shuddered, her words spilling from her mouth a moment later, "Y-yes."

I sighed, not caring that our connection made no sense, not worrying about what would happen in the future. I could do nothing but breathe over a well of relief, telling her, "Then relax and know that I will keep you safe."

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_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed Lucy's POV again. It's been a while since we've seen through her eyes, and she was begging to be heard. I have a little bit of a surprise for you next chapter! I've had only one person figure out a part of what I've been planning, but next time, you'll all be in the loop! Until then...**_


	15. Punishment

_All right guys! It's time for you all to know what that one reader figured out! **GrimmIchiUlqui21**, congratulations on getting into my head so well! :) Thanks to you all for following this story - you guys make me so happy!_

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_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail!_

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**CHAPTER 15: PUNISHMENT**

**Gray's POV**

Wendy and I made our way out of the hospital rather quickly. I could see how shaken up she was, but she had so far refused to talk. I wasn't sure what to say, how to make things easier on her. Someone that she loved had pushed her away, not that Lucy had meant to hurt Wendy, but the fact remained the same. She couldn't tolerate being touched for very long, by anyone it seemed, but Rogue. There were times when I thought I understood it, but there were times, like these, when it just hurt. I hated seeing Wendy in pain like this, I hated watching Loke's heart-break, I hated not being able to hug the girl I loved like a sister, but most of all, I hated that Lucy had to go through it.

Everything about this horrible situation was so damn hard to handle. That bastard had hurt us all when he'd harmed Lucy; we'd lost something so precious because of him, but everything in me hoped and prayed that we hadn't lost it forever. I wanted to believe that our Lucy, the one who smiled constantly, and laughed at all my bad jokes, would somehow find her way back to us. I missed her so much already.

I turned to the young girl beside me and realized that she'd begun to cry again. "Wendy, she doesn't mean to hurt you. She can't help it," I said, hoping I could help her. I didn't want her to feel as if Lucy no longer cared about her.

"I know all that," she spoke quietly, "I understand why she's like that, probably better than you do."

My eyebrows came together as I looked at her in confusion. _What was she talking about?_ I put my hand on her arm to pull her to a stop, and asked, "Why would you say that?"

"Y-you didn't see it, what he did to her...inside," she answered, her face turned away.

I swallowed hard at her words, and wondered if she realized what that kind of damage meant. "Wendy, um...I don't know what you think happened, but-" I began, only to be cut off by her whipping her head around to glare at me.

"I know exactly what he did to her! I'm 13, not some ignorant child. I've seen how much he hurt her; I've seen it with my magic - how he...he..." she exclaimed, bursting into sobs near the end.

"Stop Wendy, please just stop. Don't say anymore," I begged, as I sank to my knees to pull her into my arms.

She clutched my shirt in her tiny fists as she whimpered, "I don't want this to be real. I want Lucy back."

"I know," I whispered, my heart breaking all over again. It seemed my tears were never far from the surface anymore. "I do too, but she's going to be okay," I told her, attempting to make my voice as soothing as possible. I was no longer sure who I was trying to convince, her or me. Truth be told, it was probably more for me.

"I-I hate him, Gray," she said softly, as her eyes began to droop, "I wish...he was dead."

I didn't know how to respond to that. _Was it wrong of me to agree with her?_ I couldn't tell her that feeling that was wrong; that would make me a hypocrite, because I felt the same way. If she was wrong, then I was far worse, because I wanted to be the one to whittle him down to his last breath. I wanted to string him up and gut him, let him watch as his insides fell out and then let him bleed out slowly. Of course, all that was after I got to repay every scar he'd given to Lucy, so he could feel firsthand what he'd put her through. Simple death would be far too kind for that sorry bastard.

I looked down when I realized she'd become still and saw that she had cried herself to sleep. Lifting her up into my arms, I carried her toward our home away from home. Between the very apparent concern for Lucy and the intense healing she'd done, she was completely worn out. I suddenly felt so much older than I was. It was as if I'd aged more in the last day than I had in the last several years. How ironic that the last day had done what the whole 7 years on Tenroujima had not.

I pushed through the doors to the guild and, with only a brief nod to assure them of Wendy's well-being, I hefted the small girl up the stairs to the infirmary, and settled her on a bed to rest. Charle followed me silently into the room and curled up next to Wendy. I gave her a quick run-down of what had happened, before leaving to find the master.

As I came down the stairs, Juvia came to meet me, asking, "Gray-sama, how is Lucy?"

I could see others coming closer with the same worried look in their eyes, and I sighed at the thought of having to give them more depressing news. It would hit them all just as hard as it had Wendy, Loke, and myself. Everyone wanted to help Lucy, and her condition made it extremely complicated for any of us to really be there for her. I looked back at Juvia, and spoke loud enough for the rest to hear, "Where's Gramps? I don't want to have to tell it more than once."

"Master is still upstairs," Juvia began, her voice coming out nervous and uncertain, as if she was afraid of my reaction to something.

I tried to figure out what would have her so on edge, but I didn't get the chance to ponder it further, as the doors to the guild opened again, admitting a man I had never seen before. He advanced toward us, stopping as he reached the middle of the room, and explained, "I need to speak to a Master Makarov Dreyar. Is he here?"

"Who wants to know?" a deep voice boomed from the back of the room. I turned to find its owner, seeing Laxus walking towards him.

The man reached out his hand in invitation, and answered, "You must be his grandson. My name is Claude Crane. I'm from the Counsel."

Before any more words could be exchanged, the door to Master's office opened and the little man came out, followed by two people I really didn't want to see. My hands clenched into fists, my blood beginning to boil, and I felt a hand on my arm, stopping my forward movement. I hadn't even known I'd started moving towards Natsu and Lisanna.

Looking down, I found Juvia restraining me, and I felt my pulse slowing down. Just that simple touch helped me calm the rage that wanted to escape and explode all over the ones who'd started this whole damn nightmare. I sighed and pulled down her hand to thread our fingers together. I had a feeling I was going to need her serenity to get me through the next few minutes, because everything in me wanted to put an end to that pink-haired bastard.

Natsu's eyes found mine and I vaguely noticed his damp cheeks, but the thought was gone almost before it could solidify in my mind, as he was suddenly before me, asking, "How's Luce?"

That was all it took, and the calm I had borrowed from the water mage at my side was gone, dissipating in a flash, as my magic took over my body. Starting in the center of my being, it forced its way through my limbs, covering every inch of my body, before the air around me became cold enough to see our breath. I didn't care; it felt good, like my rage was pouring out of my skin, finally finding a target to exact its revenge upon, the perfect target. He would regret ever speaking her name, if I had to skin every last bit of skin from his body.

The fire mage's eyes went wide as he tried to increase his body heat to compensate for the change in temperature, but it didn't work. I was beyond control at the moment, and the magic leaked all over the place, filling it up. I iced over my closed fist, and let it fly, crashing into his stunned face. I enjoyed the satisfying crack of his head against the wall, before advancing on him again.

I made it only two feet to find Lisanna standing directly in my path with her arms spread in front of her. "Gray, stop it. That's enough!" she shouted, as tears slipped down her cheeks, "It's not what you're thinking!"

I growled at her, wanting nothing more than to give her a taste of Natsu's medicine too, but I refused to hit a woman, even in this situation. I needn't have worried, as a blast of water hit the white-haired girl, slinging her across the room. Juvia stalked forward, putting herself between Lisanna and me, as she called out coldly, "You will not get in the way. Juvia will not let you. This is for Gray-sama to decide. He has earned the right."

**Makarov's POV**

Natsu staggered to his feet as a man in a suit approached me, asking, "Master Makarov? Shouldn't you be stopping him?"

I turned to the sharply dressed man with a look of confusion and inquired, "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm from the counsel, Claude Crane," he informed quickly, glancing back toward Gray who was slowly moving toward Natsu, as he asked again, "Now, are you gonna stop him?

"Ah...the counsel," I groused in irritation. They always seemed to show up late to the party, and no doubt they'd be trying to control how we handled things with Lucy's attacker. "No, I don't think I can stop Gray. Juvia is correct in saying that he's earned the right. Lucy is like a sister to him. Besides, if I forced the issue, Gray would simply find Natsu on his own, and then there would be no one around to stop him before he gets out of control," I explained, wondering why I had even felt the need to do so.

I hated that things had gone this way, that Natsu and Lisanna had played a part, no matter how small, in this heart-rending catastrophe. It had damaged my brats in more ways than I believed had even been revealed yet, and there was no stopping the fallout. I didn't like my kids fighting in such a serious way, but I knew I had to let them handle things on their own, at least in part. I knew Gray didn't have control of himself right now, but he needed to avenge his sister's mistreatment. The ice mage would have done so, even if the break up hadn't led to Lucy being attacked, and I knew he needed that normalcy.

Unfortunately, Natsu also needed to learn that his actions would have consequences that he couldn't be saved from. He had made his decisions, and he would have to live with them. This didn't mean that I would allow Gray to seriously harm Natsu, but they needed to settle things, at least a little.

By the time Gray reached the pink haired man, his magic was whipping around him, frosting the air to the point that the mages around him shivered as he went past. None of us had ever seen him like this, his magic out of control, becoming one with his emotions. His face held a snarl that had only ever been reserved for his enemies, and it left no doubt in my mind that Natsu's place in Gray's life had changed. _There may not ever be a way back for the two of them._

It saddened me; though many believed the two hated one another, I'd always known it was actually the opposite. They were like brothers, rivals but always there at each other's back in times of trouble. I shook my head at all that had been lost in the space of a day. I looked at the scene before me and sighed. It may not ever be the same. It seemed the only bright spot in the whole of this horrible situation was that Gray's position as one of the guild's strongest could no longer be denied.

The ice mage came to a stop in front of Natsu, as all my brats looked on nervously. I could see some of them glancing at me in confusion at my decision. Gray gave no sign of hesitation as his hand shot forward into Natsu's chest, slamming into the fire mage with such force, he smacked back into the wall. Gray's hand followed, keeping Natsu's body up against the wall, as ice began to spread from where his hand was planted into the slayer's chest.

"Gray," Natsu whispered, his teeth chattering as the ice skirted across his body, "I-I didn't mean to hurt her. I'm sorry I h-handled things so badly."

The ice mage kept pouring his magic out through his hand, his face showing nothing but an icy hardness, and said, "I don't care. You swore to me when you started dating her that you'd never do anything to hurt her. I should have known better than to trust you with something so precious - you're too reckless to take anything seriously." He stood back, as he finished covering the man in ice, leaving only the patch around his face clear.

"T-that's not true, Gray. I do l-love Lucy, but I c-couldn't stay with her once I realized that I was in love with L-Lisanna. I still care about her - she is...w-was my best friend. She m-matters to me," Natsu tried again, his words coming out in stutters.

I shook my head at the boy's ignorance as Gray's face went crimson. His rage spiked again, and he slammed his hand against Natsu's mouth, freezing his lips shut. "Don't even go there, you pathetic prick," he shouted, his voice gaining volume in his hysteria, "Do you think I give a shit how you feel? She can barely bring herself to hug me anymore! She couldn't handle Wendy touching her, and pushed Loke away because she can't bear to be touched! The only person she's comfortable with now is Rogue. So why the fuck would I give one damn about you? She's my fucking sister, and she's so broken that I can't even be there for her!" He finished his rant with a violent hit to Natsu's chest, shattering the ice encasing him like glass, and sending Natsu to the floor.

The guild went deathly silent at Gray's outburst, and I stepped forward to lay a hand on the young man's arm. "It's enough now, Gray. Let this be the end," I said gently, as I pulled him away, "Let's go to my office and talk, okay? Juvia, please come as well. Erza, you too."

I turned briefly toward the stunned counsel man, and told him, "I'll talk to you in a few minutes. I have things to take care of first."

I sent the three of them on their way up the stairs in silence as the guild erupted, everyone talking at once. Lisanna rushed to Natsu's side, slipping her hands under his arms to pull him upright. "Are you okay, Natsu?" she asked, her tone worried and frightened.

The man pushed her hands away gently, and leaned against the wall instead for support. "Just stop, Lisanna. Please, just...stop. I can't do this right now," he said, tears slipping down his face, as he made his way out of the guild, using his hand on the wall to keep from falling over.

* * *

Some distance away, a lone dark-haired man entered the alley where Lucy had been attacked. He grunted as his eyes took in the sight of the woman's dried blood. It was a particularly violent scene, signs of the girl's struggle evident in every corner, as well as her eventual surrender. It was just the way he liked it. Too bad that man had come along and brought his fun to a stop.

It was no matter, though. He wasn't going anywhere, not when his prize was still alive. He had defeated her, and he wasn't leaving without the spoils of war. She was his, to bend, to break, to bleed, and he was going to enjoy every moment of her pain. Looking back, he realized it had almost worked out better than he'd planned initially. He had gone a bit too far in his excitement with the strong-willed blonde. Had they not been interrupted by the dragon slayer, he probably would have killed the girl too soon.

Now, though, the game was back on, and it would be far more entertaining. She'd be healed of all her damage and could now take even more. He'd track her down, and if that bastard was still around, show him his true power. He'd kill that interfering brat right in front of her, so she'd know that no one could take her away. Then, she'd be his again, and this time, he'd do it right. He would show her his strength. It was time she learned the truth - there was no stopping him. He was coming for her, and no one would get in his way.

* * *

**_A/N: Oh, his darkness was so hard to write. I felt so sick after adding that part. Anyway, there's your surprise. Tatankan is coming to kill Rogue and take Lucy. Also, the counsel man, Claude Crane was added in honor of one of my readers who said he'd love to be a witness to such drama. So, there we are! See you all next time, with more Rogue and Lucy._**


	16. Outta Here

_Here we are guys! Next chapter! Thanks so much for continuing to follow this story. I love you all so much! Shout-out to my beta, **LittleWonderland**, who is finally back in the world of fanfiction! Anyway, on to the story!_

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_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. I, obviously, do not._

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**CHAPTER 16: OUTTA HERE**

**Lucy's POV**

I awoke the next morning still wrapped up in Rogue's arms, and I sighed, closing my eyes again, snuggling closer to hear the sound of his steady heartbeat. I realized I should be feeling embarrassed that I had spent the entire night so close to a man I barely knew, but I couldn't make myself push him away. He was the only thing that kept me safe, the one person who kept the nightmares at bay. I was being selfish, keeping him around to take care of me, but I just couldn't let him go. He was my air, in a world clouded with noxious smoke.

I shuddered at the idea of him leaving and turned my face towards his chest, breathing in his scent, bathing in the knowledge that he was still there. He hadn't left, just like he'd promised. I wasn't quite prepared to believe that he wouldn't eventually leave me, but I would hold tight to him for as long as he would let me. He inhaled deeply, and turned his body a bit, drawing me closer to his chest, as if even in sleep, he knew I needed him.

My attention was drawn away as the door to my room eased open. My heart climbed up my throat and I choked, struggling against my rising panic. _Why was the door opening so slowly? Did he already find me? Of course, this would be the first place he'd look!_ I fought against the covers suddenly binding me to the bed and keened as a hand wrapped around the edge of the curtain. Then Rogue was awake, his eyes flashing as he jumped from the bed to put himself in the path of my would-be attacker.

I watched the shadows making their way up his body, as he prepared himself for battle. The curtain slid aside, and I slumped at the sight of a man in a doctor's jacket lifting his head to offer a greeting. His smile died as he noticed Rogue's tense form and me hiding behind him. The shadows slid away as the man looked around, as if searching for the danger Rogue had reacted to, before a stunned expression came over his face. "Oh, I didn't even think. I'm very sorry. I should have announced myself immediately," he explained, seeming more than a little contrite.

Rogue nodded briefly before turning to me. I realized as his hands came down over my shoulders that I was quaking, the adrenaline apparently wearing off enough to leave my body in shock. "Lucy, everything's fine. Calm down. It's just your doctor," Rogue told me, his voice soft and steady.

"It's not fine," I whispered, the realization haunting me, that staying in the hospital was as good as a neon sign indicating my presence. "I have to get out of here. He's going to find me," I continued, my voice coming louder at the end. I could feel the hysterics trying to set in, but I tried to keep myself calm. They'd never listen if I started freaking out.

The doctor stepped closer, his professional smile back in place, saying, "No, he won't, Miss Heartfilia. I promise, you're safe here."

"No, I'm not!" I yelled, any hope of keeping calm shot right out the window in the wake of his weak, though well meant, platitudes. This naive doctor didn't know that man; he had no idea what he would do, so why would I trust his judgement? "You don't know what you're talking about! This will be the first place he looks! I have to go," I decided, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, clutching at my stomach as the ache set in. I guess it wasn't done healing, after all.

Rogue pulled me towards him, as an understanding of the situation crossed his features, and I knew he had gotten it. "She's right. She's not safe here. We never should have stayed here this long," he said, addressing the doctor, his tone brooking no argument, "We must leave immediately."

The doctor protested, explaining that my injuries needed more time to heal, but Rogue cut him off, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders, "We are leaving doctor, and you won't be stopping us. We have our own healer. Trust me, Lucy will be safer with us."

We left the doctor sputtering his recommendations again, and hurried down the hall, hoping to escape the hospital with a minimal amount of fuss. The easier and quicker we got out of here, the less chance we had of him finding me. As we reached the bottom floor, the waiting room came into view, as well as dozens of people, all of whom suddenly seemed drawn to our appearance. I shivered at their stares, and tucked my face into Rogue's chest. I just wanted to hide. I couldn't handle all of them watching me, like they knew there was something wrong with me.

A sob slipped up my throat and Rogue reacted instantly, scooping me up into his arms and storming toward the door leading outside, his face a mask of fury as he growled at the spectators. They turned their heads away as we passed and I clung to my lifeline, desperately wanting some secret place of retreat, somewhere that no one would ever find us. He cut a path to the woods beside the hospital, his eyes darting around us, keeping a constant vigil for any sign of danger.

We slipped away in near silence, Rogue making his way deep into the forest, before stopping to set me down on a stump. "Are you okay? Hurting anywhere?" he asked, kneeling in front of me.

I shook my head. "I'm okay. They just kept l-looking at me, like they knew..." I trailed off, turning my head aside in shame.

* * *

**Rogue's POV**

"Knew what?" I asked. When she didn't answer, I reached out, tugging her face back around to look at me, and repeated myself, "They knew what?" _Why was she acting like this?_

Her eyes met mine as a tear slipped down her face and her words tumbled out, softer than most people could hear, "Like they knew I was filthy."

My throat closed at her admission. _Not this...not again._ The rage swept over me again and all I could think of was ripping her attacker's head off his shoulders. A part of me wanted to go back to the night of the attack, and kill him where he stood, but I knew, had I taken the time to do that, Lucy wouldn't have survived. I knew I'd done the right thing, but everything inside me screamed out for vengeance, for her pain, for her sorrow, for every single time she doubted herself. I would make him pay; there was no doubt. Even if it took the rest of my life, I'd find him, and then he'd wish he had never so much as breathed in her direction.

I pulled myself back to the conversation and found her once again looking at the ground. I put my hands to her cheeks, and lifted her gaze to mine again, and told her firmly, "Don't you ever say that again. You're not the filthy one. He is. Do you understand me, Lucy? Don't you believe that about yourself."

Her weary eyes flowed as she gave a tiny nod, a barely discernible acquiescence to my demand. I could see I hadn't convinced her, but it wasn't something she could come to terms with in a minute, or even a day, week, or month. It could take her years to feel differently. I sighed and took her hands, pulling her up to stand, and asked, "Should we go to your guild?"

Her face came alive with fear, shaking her head violently, as her hands gripped mine tightly, and begged, "No, please. I can't go there. I don't want to see them all. They'll know."

I should have known she'd have that reaction; it had been foolish to even ask. Before I could offer another suggestion, she spoke again, her voice choked, "Please Rogue. Don't make me go there. I just wanna go home."

Seeing her like this tore at me; I couldn't tell her no. She'd been through far too much, and all she wanted was to be in a familiar place, somewhere she still felt safe. I took a deep breath before sweeping her tiny frame back up into my arms, and said, "Alright, home it is. You'll have to tell me how to get there, though."

She slumped against me, the tension flowing from her body almost instantly, and quickly gave me directions. Seeing we had 20 minute walk ahead of us, I urged her to rest, nodding in satisfaction as she settled her head against my shoulder and promptly fell asleep. I walked through the trees, my hearing attuned to our surroundings as a I kept a close watch for any hint of that sick bastard.

We made it to the edge of the woods near her home uneventfully, and seeing no danger, slipped across the cobbled road, heading swiftly towards her apartment. I jostled her awake as we reached the small building, needing her to point out which one was hers. I took in a deep breath, pulling in the scents of the area, searching for the telltale stink of her assailant. I relaxed, when I didn't come across his stench, and carried Lucy up the stairs towards the second floor. I set her down and instructing her to wait, sank into the shadows and edged my way under her door. I raced through the house, inspecting every inch, before reforming myself and unlocking the door to draw her inside.

* * *

**Erza's POV**

I ran from the hospital, tension marking my every step. Lucy was gone, thankfully with Rogue, but what worried me was that none of us had considered that she shouldn't be in the hospital. Here we were, chasing Tatankan all over Magnolia, but not coming any closer to catching up with him, and the real concern should have been how easily he could find her. Lucy and Rogue had done the right thing by leaving immediately, but I couldn't help but fear for her. I had no idea where they'd gone, and it wasn't like Rogue could leave her there to come inform us of her location.

I burst through the doors to Fairy Tail, instantly drawing everyone's attention, and hurried across the guild to Gray. He met me halfway, his expression apprehensive as he grabbed my arms, and asked, "Erza, what's wrong? Why aren't you at the hospital with Lucy?"

"She's gone," I answered, struggling to talk past my labored breathing, "She and Rogue left the hospital. We did it all wrong, Gray."

"What the hell do you mean, they left? Where are they?" he asked, his eyes wide, voice edging toward panic.

I shook my head in response, "I don't know. All I know is the doctor said that Lucy was freaking out about getting out of there because it was the first place that bastard would look for her. You see? We shouldn't have left her there. She wasn't safe!"

The ice mage's face went white as he went over the implications of this discovery. "The hospital would have been the first place anyone thought of taking someone hurt that badly. Oh God, he could have taken her again," he whispered, horrified at the possibilities.

His hands shook against my arms, as Juvia walked up behind him. She placed a hand on his back, and spoke quietly, her voice a mix of gentleness and determination, "Gray-sama, we will find her. Juvia knows we will, but you must remain calm. Now, where would Lucy go?"

At her words, Gray's eyes lost their haunted look, and he nodded at her, breathing deeply in a bid to center himself. I grasped my chin in my hand, thinking quickly, "Well, she'd probably go where she feels the safest." My eyes widened as they met Gray's, both of us calling out at the same time, "She went home!"

The two of us scrambled out of the guild, leaving everyone behind as we raced towards her apartment, praying with all we had that our instincts hadn't led us wrong. We slowed as we reached the stairs, taking a breath to calm our heartbeats, and climbed the stairs quietly. I turned the knob, and finding it locked, pulled out the spare key I'd had made a while back and unlocked it. Sharing a tense look with Gray, I pushed the door open, and we slipped inside.

Calling her name softly, we walked through the kitchen, headed towards her bedroom, when a rather furious looking Rogue shot around the corner, coming right at us. "What the hell are you doing sneaking in here like that? You scared the shit out of her!" he growled, his anger palpable in the near silence of the apartment.

"She's here? She's okay?" Gray asked, his voice cracking in relief.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer sneered, before turning around to head back the way he'd come, calling over his shoulder, "She was okay before you two morons decided to freak her out again. I had just gotten her calmed down."

I felt my hackles rise at his insults, but I pushed them aside. He was only trying to look out for Lucy, and Lucy wanted him there. As long as that was the case, I'd put my pride away and deal with it. Besides, I reasoned, he had a point. Thinking over our actions, I realized that once again, we hadn't thought it through. The way we came, all quiet, could have easily made her think it was the man who'd attacked her. After all, our group had never really been the quiet type.

"You're right, Rogue. I apologize for our entrance. We'll be sure to announce ourselves next time, and not just barge in." I tilted my head down in a gesture of submission. Though I didn't like this man deciding things for Lucy, it was obvious that he knew better than us what to do in this situation. I was also surprised to find that he honestly seemed to care for her.

He looked back, giving me a brief nod, before slinking back into Lucy's bedroom. We followed just behind him, and found Lucy on her bed, huddling in the corner. As Rogue neared the bed, Lucy launched herself at him, her arms locking around his neck. The man turned to us with a look of frustration, as if to say, 'See what you did?', and slipped an arm under her legs, lifting her up off the bed. He passed us, heading straight for the couch, and sat gingerly down, making sure she wasn't hurt in the process.

Rogue stretched his legs along the couch, settling Lucy between his body and the back of the couch, her legs thrown over his lap, and her head tucked in close to his chest. I watched as he pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her shoulders. I was stunned, and looking at Gray, I could see that he felt the same way. Lucy was completely at ease with him, no fear, no anxiety. She was calm. I stood there, unable to open my mouth because words had abandoned me.

"Sit. You're making her nervous," Rogue stated, and I arched a brow at him. _She seemed fine to me. Why would he assume she was nervous?_

Then I noticed her hand clenched tightly around his shirt, and I sank down into a chair, pushing Gray into the one beside me. Lucy's hand slowly relaxed as Rogue bent down to whisper something into her ear. She turned her head a bit, just enough to take in the sight of us sitting across from her, and offered a tentative, "Hi."

A smile lit my face as I gave her a little wave. I looked over to Gray as he started to speak, "You okay, sis? We were worried when we didn't know where you were."

She nodded a bit and answered softly, "Couldn't stay there. H-he'd..." Her voice trailed off as she began to shake.

"Shh...he's not going to get you," Rogue told her, tightening his arm around her shoulders, "Remember what I asked you?"

She took a deep breath and nodded, answering his question simply, "I trust you."

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**_A/N: Next time, we hit a hard spot in Lucy's recovery..._**


	17. Breaking Apart

_Wow, we're already at chapter 17, and I feel like we've barely scratched the surface of what I have planned. Guess that means lots more chapters for you guys. lol Anyway, thanks so much for all the amazing things you guys have said about my story, for all the support through follows and favorites. You guys are great! Thanks to my ridiculously awesome friend, **Deathsembrace137**, for beta'ing and helping me with the last bit of this chapter. _

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_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail, but you know that...right?_

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**CHAPTER 17: BREAKING APART**

**LUCY'S POV**

It had been a while since Gray and Erza left, and as horrible as it was to say it, it was a relief now that they were gone. I hated feeling like that, but I couldn't help it. I didn't understand why I felt so uncomfortable around them, around anyone to be honest. Anyone, but Rogue. He was the only exception, and I wasn't even sure why. For some bizarre reason, he felt safe to me, like my home. Somehow, I knew he understood. It didn't matter what I said, or how I reacted, he seemed to understand. He got it.

Maybe that was why I felt so off balanced around the others. They tried so hard, I know they did, but they couldn't see the darkness. They couldn't know the things in my head, the ugliness that lived there now. We'd all seen horrible things, I knew that, most of which we'd gone through as a group, but this was different.

I curled my legs into my chest, my body unconsciously scooting into the corner of the couch, as the thought of that man came to mind. Yes, this was different. Never had an enemy ever tainted me like this. No matter how bad things had gotten before, the bad guys had never won. They'd never conquered me. I blinked as a tear slipped down my cheek, and admitted the truth to myself.

He destroyed me. I tried to fight, but he beat me. He beat me like I hadn't put everything I had into resisting him. It was easy to see I'd never be the same. I couldn't be her anymore, with the easy smile, the happy laugh, the fearless flaunting of my body. She was gone, and a part of me mourned her. I knew my friends did too; they wanted her back, but they didn't understand that she was never returning.

That girl had been a fool, believing she was safe, that nothing could hurt her. I knew life wasn't fair, that it could be downright cruel, but I had let Fairy Tail change my mind. They were warm and loving, giving me the family I so desperately wanted, but with that came confidence and more than a little arrogance. After all, we'd made it through each and every battle, largely unscathed, and I'd begun thinking we were all but invincible. How just like life to show me just how wrong I'd been.

I wrapped my arms around my knees, feeling the cold creep into my bones. It seemed I was always cold now, so achingly chilled. It never left for long, only when Rogue was near. I hadn't been able to make sense of it, and had finally decided to quit trying. How ironic that we had meant nothing to each other when we met, but now, he was everything to me. This man who was stoic to the point of coldness was my light, my hope, and my safety, all in one.

The thought drifted through my mind, reminding me that he could still leave, any time he wanted. He owed me nothing. It struck me like a physical blow, seizing my heart in panic, the steady beat spiking into a gallop instantly. What would I do? I wouldn't survive. He would come; he would take me again, and this time, I would die. My hands clenched around the blanket Rogue had pulled over me earlier, my mind lost in the dark, in the agony I knew would come if he was gone.

Hands smoothed over my arms, and I started, my head jerking up in fright. Rogue's hands lifted to my face, wiping at the tears I hadn't known were there, and asked, "What is it, Lucy?"

"Tell me again," I whimpered, helpless to stop the tremble in my voice, as I stared at him, "Please..."

His head angled to the side, as he looked down at me confused, and questioned, "Tell you what?"

"Tell me you won't go," I pleaded, my head dropping in shame. I felt so weak for begging, so pathetic for needing him so much, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't fight the darkness on my own. I wasn't strong enough.

He sighed, and lifted my head, looking straight into my eyes, and said, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for as long as you need me."

I looked at him, taking in the quiet strength that was simply him, the knowledge in his eyes, and the certainty of his statement, and took in a deep breath, whispering, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I am happy to remind you as often as you need to hear it," he assured, "Now, why don't you go change out of that hospital gown. I'm sure you'll feel much more comfortable in your own clothes."

* * *

**LAXUS'S POV**

"Okay, quiet down. We need to come up with a better plan for tracking Tatankan. Anyone have any ideas?" Gramps called out, his voice as serious as I'd ever heard it.

"Freed came up with something," I said, looking over to Freed with a nod for him to explain.

He cleared his throat before offering his suggestion, "I think we should lay traps around town, like a web stretching over the whole of Magnolia. We set it up to notify us when he crosses through one of them."

"Excellent plan, Freed. Anyone else?" the old man continued, looking around the room.

A small voice spoke up next, and I turned to see Levy with her hand raised in the air, "I can help Freed do the traps. We can get them up much faster with two us of working on it."

"I have a question," Gray asked, his face perplexed, "How will the traps know it's him? Won't they go off when anyone walks into them?"

Several people nodded in agreement, as we glanced toward Freed once more. His face fell with distaste as he replied, "I'll have to go back to the place where Lucy was attacked and get some of his DNA. We'll have to write the runes using it so that they'll target only him. Master, we're going to need Porlyusica for this. We can't simply add it to the writing; it has to be turned into a type of magical ink."

Gramps nodded his head, saying, "Jet, I'll need you to head to her house with a message. I'll write it out for you in a moment. Now, I don't want anyone working on any part of this to go anywhere alone. There will be teams, especially when we start putting up the traps. We don't want any more surprises. So, who will be going with Freed to collect the DNA?"

"I'm going with him. He'll need a Dragon Slayer to sniff out the DNA," I called out. I wasn't looking forward to going back to that place, but I would do what needed to be done.

"I'll be joining them, as well. There's someone that needs to see that alley," Mira said, her gaze pining her sister in place.

I grunted in approval. That girl had no idea what Blondie went through. All she could see was Natsu right now, and she needed to get her head outta her ass. Mira was obviously thinking that seeing where the blonde was hurt would wake Lisanna up to what was important right now. As much as he agreed, he knew that Mira was in for a shock as well. She didn't have a clue what she had just signed up for.

Looking over at the ice mage, I waited for him to volunteer, but he simply shook his head, his hands clenched at his sides. I nodded slightly, knowing it was probably best that he not accompany us. He was struggling to keep it together already. Seeing the alley where Blondie fell could only cause him more pain.

Evergreen declined, her face paling at the thought of going back, but Bixlow indicated his assent with a tilt of his head. Cana slid from her seat, uncharacteristically sober, saying, "I'm going too. I want to see if I can do a divination on him."

As we worked out the final members of our team, Natsu spoke up from the back of the room, his voice small and unsure for the first time, "I want to go."

I huffed at his question, not even bothering to look in his direction, as I answered, "Who cares what you want?"

Unfortunately, my grandfather shot me a look, and opposed, "I think it would be good for him to see, as well as Lisanna."

Stifling a growl, I stood to my feet, and groused, "Whatever. Let's go."

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**ROGUE'S POV**

I slumped onto the couch, dropping my head in my hands, as Lucy shut the door to her room. I had kept my cool in front of her, but now that she couldn't see me, I could let go. My nerves had been on high alert ever since we'd left the hospital, and it hadn't helped when her team mates had slipped into the apartment so silently. Normally, I would have taken account of the scent of the intruder, and known instantly who it was, but my mind hadn't been working properly.

I was on edge, because I had failed Lucy. I hadn't even considered just how dangerous it was for her to be in that hospital. Now, I was questioning everything I had done thus far. Should I have taken her somewhere else? Was she safe here? Could he have followed us? I was getting dizzy from the questions flying around in my head. How could I have not thought of something so elementary? I put her in danger, and I hadn't even realized it. I should have thought of that.

Lucy, however, had not a single doubt about me. She still seemed to trust me just as much as she had before. She'd offered no recriminations, no disappointment at all in my actions. She just asked for my assurance again, tying her hope to me, as though I hadn't messed up in her protection. She clung to me, her actions suggesting that she believed in me, that she trusted my ability to keep her safe.

Though I didn't understand why that was the case, I didn't dwell on it, instead, feeling immense relief that she didn't believe I'd let her down. I had tried so hard to be there for her, to do and be everything she needed to get through this, and I would continue to do so. I couldn't stand the thought of her getting hurt again, or feeling alone and fearful. I couldn't bear it if something happened to her like...

No, I wouldn't go there. I refused. I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of mumbling in the next room, the words too garbled to discern. I stood to my feet, moving closer to her room in an attempt to figure out what she was saying, and finally heard it just as the sobs started.

"W-why can't I get it off?" she cried, her voice edging into panic, "Get off of me!"

I put a hand on the door, calling out her name, but she didn't answer, her voice still carrying on the horrible conversation with herself. I opened the door a crack, intending to call out to her again in case she was still undressed, when the smell hit me. Blood. I slammed open the door and found her on the floor, clad in only a t-shirt, clawing at her leg. I fell to my knees in front of her, grabbing her hands to stop her attack, yelling out her name as she began thrashing.

She jerked against me, trying to pull her arms away, as she shrieked, "No, I have to get it off!"

"Lucy! Stop it!" I yelled, yanking her into my chest, trapping her arms between us. She bucked against me, trying to free herself, her voice screeching out her anguish, but I refused to let her go. I called her name frantically, desperately trying to get her to calm down. She fought long and hard, slowly wearing herself out until she collapsed into me, letting out a pitiful wail.

I held her in my arms, as sobs wracked her worn body, and whispered, "I'm here. I'm right here, Lucy."

She settled after a long while, and I sat back on my heels, releasing my hold on her once I was certain that she wouldn't start tearing into her flesh again. I held her face in my hands and said, "Okay, I'm going to check your leg now. Just relax."

I waited for her to nod her agreement before looking down at the bloody mess she'd made of her leg. I hissed at the damage she'd done, feeling my stomach roil as blood seeped from the deep gashes, pooling beneath her on the floor. "Do you have any medical supplies?" I asked, looking up at her defeated face.

She pointed towards the bathroom soundlessly, and dropped her hand beside her, sitting there in silence as I retrieved the first aid kit. I knelt once again in front of her, and gathered what I needed to clean the wound and bandage it. It would have been much easier to have the Sky Dragon Slayer heal her, but I couldn't leave to get her. As I turned my attention to her leg, I said, "This is going to hurt a bit. Okay?" and seeing her shrug, I sighed and asked, "Lucy, why did you do this?"

The blonde sniffed, tears pooling in her eyes again, and answered in a soft voice, "He put his n-name on me. I-I couldn't get it off."

I drew in a deep breath before speaking, "I know you want it off, Lucy, but this isn't the way. Look how much you hurt yourself."

"I don't care," she whispered as if telling a secret, her eyes to the floor, "I don't want to belong to him."

My head jerked up in shock. "Lucy...why would you say that?" I asked cautiously, somehow knowing I wasn't going to like what was coming. She kept quiet, and I reached out a hand to make her look at me, pressing, "Lucy, answer me."

She opened her mouth a few times, her hesitation clear on her face, before the words spilled out, "H-He said he had to brand me s-so everyone would know I belonged t-to him."

"You said you trust me, right? Well, then you trust me now when I tell you this. He does not own you. I don't give a damn what he said. There's nothing he could do that would make you belong to him," I explained, maybe harsher than I should have, but I was pissed. I wanted to rip that sick fucker apart with my bare hands. "I want you to promise me that you won't ever do this again," I told her sternly, making sure to keep eye contact.

Her eyes widened before she turned her head aside, keeping silent on the matter. Apparently she wasn't going to promise anything of the sort, which really bothered me, but she also didn't lie to me. I suppose that was good. At least I wouldn't have to worry about whether I can trust that she'll tell me the truth when I ask her something. I let out a sigh of frustration, as I finished up the bandaging, and left her to put away the supplies.

As I stepped back in the room, I spoke, my voice once again calm, "I'm not happy about this, but I'm glad you didn't choose to lie to me." I leaned down to pick her up again, heading straight for her bed. Pulling back the covers, I set her down gently, and at her pleading look, I took off my shoes and climbed in beside her. She lay there, her face uncertain, as she bit her lip in indecision.

"Lucy, I told you not to be afraid to ask for what you want," I admonished her as she continued to sit there.

She breathed in sharply before looking at me again, and asked, "W-will you h-hold me. I s-sleep better like that."

I opened my arms in answer, as I settled into a comfortable position, and waited for her to crawl over to me, laying her head against my chest. I brought my arms around her tightly, and she sighed, her eyes beginning to flicker almost immediately. "Lucy, please don't do that again. I hate seeing you hurt," I said quietly.

She yawned, her eyes finally slamming shut, as she offered a final thought, "I promise, Rogue...for you."

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_**A/N: Oh, the RoLu...anyone else feel like crying when Lucy did that to herself. It really did a number on me. Why do I do this to myself? **_


	18. The Other Side

_Well, this chapter is a little bit shorter than I usually do, but I liked where it ended, so please don't hate me! :) Anyway, thanks for sticking with my story! Love you guys so much! Thanks also to **Deathsembrace137** for being awesome enough to read over this and edit it for me! You're terrific!_

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**CHAPTER 18: THE OTHER SIDE**

**Mira's POV**

We made our way to the alley, to the place we'd nearly lost our friend, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I hadn't been to see the area yet, and wasn't sure just what I'd find there. I knew, as everyone else in our guild did, the injuries Lucy had, but hearing about what happened wasn't the same thing as seeing it first hand. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to see where Lucy's life had changed forever.

I wished I could be like Gray and refuse, but I didn't have that option anymore. My sister needed to realize that there was more going on here than her problems with the guild and Natsu. Obviously, Lisanna realized that Lucy was hurt. I knew that she felt for her, that she worried over the girl she hadn't had the chance to know very well, but my youngest sibling seemed to have become disconnected from the reality of what had happened. She didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

Lisanna was a good person at heart, the kind who loved deeply and hated hurting someone else. No one had seen the tears she'd cried in the protection of our home over the mess she and Natsu had wrought within the guild, but the fact remained that she was still behaving like a child. We had no time to wait for her to grow up. We needed every single member of our guild right now, and unfortunately she would have to learn the hard way that life has consequences.

Looking over at Natsu, I could see that particular lesson had already started settling in. For the first time since I'd known him, he was quiet and thoughtful, following instructions to the letter, not causing any problems. It was disconcerting to see such a difference in him, but I'd known even before everything had happened, that Natsu had much growing up to do. He'd often do things without thinking, causing untold hardships on those around him, all because he couldn't be bothered with considering the outcome before acting.

I had been glad when Natsu was assigned to go with us. I think Master had it right when he'd said they both needed to be there, to see what Lucy had been through. They needed a wake up call, and this would be their opportunity to begin taking a path to adulthood. As the catalyst to this whole thing, they needed to know that every action they take as an adult has an effect, like ripples moving outward when a pebble is dropped into calm waters.

Looking in front of me, I saw Laxus stiffen his posture, and I realized we must be getting close. I felt a twinge of panic, that little voice of self-preservation inside me begging me to turn around and go home, but I steeled myself against the notion of running away. Lucy had endured this horror, and I would brave the scene for her. I wouldn't play the coward when she'd fought so hard here, but I desperately wanted to know what I was up against.

I quicken my steps, coming up beside Laxus and Freed, and taking a deep breath, asked, "How bad is it?"

"It's worse than you're imagining," Laxus muttered shortly before pushing forward on his own.

I stared at his back as he moved away from us, before turning a questioning look to Freed at my side. He shook his head and explained, "He still angry about Natsu and Lisanna. He doesn't want them here."

"But they need to see it, Lisanna especially. She's not thinking about things clearly," I argued, trying not to sound as though I were defending them. That wasn't my intention at all. I just wanted them to have the chance to see things for what they were, so they could start mending the fences they'd broken. We were supposed to be a family. In some cases, the guild was all the family some members had, and I knew that was true for Natsu. I didn't want him losing his entire family because he'd acted like a foolish child.

"I realize that, Mira, but in Laxus's eyes, they shouldn't require a visual to understand the truth," the rune mage continued, "And in some ways, I agree with him. It takes only a moment of thought to see, to know what has happened. However, I do believe they should not be afforded the luxury of ignorance."

Sighing, I nodded my head, "You have such a way with words, Freed. That's precisely how I meant it, but I couldn't seem to find a way to express myself. I don't excuse their parts in what happened. It pains me that they hurt Lucy in such a way, but I also realize that once it sinks in for them, it will be a great deal to live with. It's so hard to live with guilt and regret, especially at their young age."

Freed turned to look at me and answered sadly, "I'm afraid there is no saving them from that fate. Living with the shame of hurting the ones you love is a bitter pill to swallow, and no one will be able to take that away from them."

"But there is always forgiveness," I answered softly. I knew he was thinking of his own mistakes, and I realized he'd never laid them to rest. Though it had been long ago, he still appeared haunted by his actions, and I hated it for him.

"That is true, for those of us who are lucky enough to have the chance to redeem ourselves, but it doesn't take away the memory of our transgressions or the guilt we carry everyday. There is forgiveness, but there is never forgetting, Mira. Make no mistake, the two of them will live every day, knowing what their selfish choices have brought about," the serious man informed, his face set in a knowing look.

My attention was called away as Laxus called out from far ahead, "You ready for this?"

I looked back towards Cana and Bixlow, and further back to my sister and a solemn Natsu. As I began turning back, I saw Natsu's head lift, his face shifting to an appalling shade of white, his legs suddenly finding the strength to bolt past us, heading straight towards Laxus and the mouth of the cursed alley.

"Natsu!" I shouted, readying myself to chase after him, when Freed stopped me with a hand on my arm as he shook his head.

"Let him go," he said with a grimace, "He's caught the smell of her blood, and if his face is any indication, also how much of it she lost."

I gulped as I watched Natsu stumble to a halt just beside the tall blonde-haired man, before he let out an broken cry and moved forward. I shared a nervous glance with Cana and my sister, who'd taken my hand in her own, and walked around the corner into the site of Lucy's personal hell. Dread crawled up my throat as I tightened my hold on Lisanna's hand and forced my legs to continue moving.

We stepped into the alley, to the sound of Natsu's cries, and I gasped as my eyes saw the scene for the first time, the utter devastation that was my friend's fight for her life. Her blood stained the ground, the walls, splattered across the numerous items left abandoned through the area, and I choked, bile spilling up my throat as I pressed a shaky hand to my mouth. Laxus had been right. It was more cruel than my mind could have ever imagined. _What she must have gone through._

Natsu stood before a pitted wall, the side marred by large spatters of dark color, and he reached out a hand to the spots before his knees buckled and he dropped to the ground, landing near a misshapen circle of what could only be Lucy's dried blood. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the ground, as his body was wracked with sobs. He lifted his fists from the ground, screaming his anger and pain out as he slammed his clenched hands down over and over again, hammering into the dirt with everything he had.

Hearing a wail beside me, I found Cana hanging onto a stern looking Bixlow, her face tucked into his shoulder as his arms held her tightly. Turning to my sister, I watched as her face drained of color, her body freezing up, before wavering slightly and dropping to the ground. It had happened so fast, but I couldn't seem to move myself to catch her. I'd been in enough situations to know that shock was setting in. It was just all so surreal, this horrible place, Lucy's attack, her blood everywhere. It seemed so unreal that this could have happened to her.

Hearing a voice calling my name, I lifted my head slowly to see Freed's concerned face in front of me, his mouth moving as he spoke to me, "Mira, are you okay? You're very pale. Maybe you should sit down."

His hands grasped my arms, pushing me gently back until I was sitting on the ground next to Lisanna's still form. I reached out for her, pulling her as far onto my lap as I could, and promptly burst into tears, hugging her close to my chest. I rocked back and forth, almost wishing I'd never come here, as I sobbed. I cried for what happened to Lucy, for her distance, for Gray's pain at the loss of his sister, for Natsu and Lisanna having to live with the guilt of this, for our guild being torn apart. I ached at the destruction that man had caused in our lives.

Freed reached out for me, brushing my hair out of my face as he forced me to look at him. "Mira, you must be strong. Don't stay too long in your sorrow. You must find a way to put it aside and be there for the others. You are the one she will look to for guidance. Remember our plan. We will not let this heinous act go unpunished," he spoke fiercely, staring straight into my eyes, willing me dig deep for the courage to continue.

I nodded briefly. I wouldn't let him down. I wouldn't let any of them down. I would find the strength to go on and bring our family back together again. I would not let this man destroy everything we had built together. We were stronger than anything he'd ever stood against before, and we would not stop until he paid in blood. We would put ourselves back together again. We were Fairy Tail, after all.

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_**A/N: Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Like, love, hate? Just let me know! Love you guys!**_


	19. Finding My Way

Wow! I almost can't believe I got this one done! I couldn't let my readers down! :) Thank you guys so much for your follows, favorites, and reviews. You are all so wonderful!

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**CHAPTER 19 - FINDING MY WAY**

**GRAY'S POV**

The group came back changed, their faces pale, the dried tracks from their tears easily visible, and I couldn't help but be grateful that I'd been spared the view of that alley. I never wanted to see the place where we'd nearly lost Lucy. I knew if I ever did, it would haunt me in ways I'd never be able to forget. There were a great many things I knew I could face, things I could stand strong about, but that definitely wasn't one of them.

Natsu trailed in after the others, looking haggard and aged somehow, his hands streaked with blood. I'd never seen him look like that, as if he'd finally found the one thing that could destroy him. I felt a pang of sympathy for the other man, certain he was in pain after visiting the site of the attack, but then I shored up my defenses, refusing to give him another thought. He'd started Lucy on this path, and I'd be damned if I was just going to let it go.

Maybe now, that ignorant bastard would get it. Maybe now, he'd do some soul searching, realize that he had a great deal of growing up to do. Natsu had lived for far too long with the idea that he could say and do whatever felt right at the time, and never have to worry over the consequences. He was the reason we'd lost so much money when we went on jobs as a team.

My attention was pulled away, as Gramps asked Freed if he was able to get the sample of DNA he needed. The green-haired mage nodded briefly, before being led upstairs along with Levy, where Porlyusica awaited them. I hoped it wouldn't take them long to formulate the ink for the runes. The longer it took to find the bastard that hurt Lucy, the harder it would be to convince her that it was safe for her to return to the guild.

Looking over to the bar, I found Mira and Lisanna enveloped in a hug courtesy of their older brother, both girls tearing up as they spoke in low tones. I could see Mira shaking her head at the youngest take over mage, and then point her finger off to the corner of the room. I followed her line of sight, finding Natsu slumped over a table by himself, his face laid over his arms. Lisanna took a deep breath before making her way towards the lone slayer.

I scowled as she sat across from Natsu, feeling like the two of them had no business being near each other. After all, that was how all this had gotten started. Apparently the fire mage agreed with me, shaking his head at the white-haired girl and turning away. I felt a small measure of satisfaction at his shunning of her, before I chastised myself for the moment of petty childishness.

That instant of rebuke was quickly brushed aside though, as Lisanna reached out a hand and grabbed onto the retreating man's arm, stilling his movements. I could see her pleading with him, obviously asking him to wait and hear her out, and I grumbled low, "She's got a lot of nerve, acting like that after what she's done."

"It's not what you're thinking," Gajeel spoke, plopping down in the seat beside me, continuing, "She's not trying to date him."

"What do you mean?" I asked in suspicion, remembering how every action she'd taken lately had been about Natsu and her, "What else would she be doing?"

The Iron Dragon Slayer listened for a moment, before relaying their conversation, "She's telling him that he's right, that their focus should be on Lucy.

"What else is she saying?" I inquired, leaning forward, wishing I could hear them as well. Normally, I wouldn't be trying to pry into other people's conversations, but the way I saw it, those two didn't deserve such decency.

His head turned a bit to the side as he tuned in to their voices again, and informed, "She's saying what happened to Lucy was their fault. She feels guilty. Looks like the trip did her some good."

"Maybe so," I acknowledged, continuing to watch the two of them as they carried on their serious conversation. I had my doubts, but it was possible that they had finally gotten the picture. I refused, however, to pin my hopes on that possibility and decided I would simply watch. If this newfound realization wasn't real, it would show eventually, and I'd be there to call them out on it. I wasn't going to just assume Lucy would be safe with them anymore.

"Gray-sama, Juvia knows that you aren't totally convinced, but Juvia believes it's true. They both looked very upset when they came in," the blue-haired woman offered softly.

I nodded at her slightly, finding myself surprised that she knew me well enough to know how I thought, though I suppose it shouldn't have come as such a shock to me, considering how much time she'd spent in the past stalking me. "We'll see, Juvia. We'll see," I answered thoughtfully.

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LISANNA'S POV

I sat across from Natsu, my hand still on his arm, as I spoke softly, "Natsu, please. Just hear me out."

"I'm not in the mood to talk about us, Lisanna," he answered, his voice harsh as he pulled his arm away, "That's about the last thing on my mind. Or didn't you see what I saw?"

"No, I mean yes, I saw it. That's what I wanted to talk to you about," I continued, pushing aside the hurt I felt at his reaction to me. I couldn't blame him though. I'd been so focused lately on protecting him from the guild that I had lost sight of what should have important. I forgot what Lucy had been through, what I had helped cause. "I just...I'm not trying to talk about us, more like saying that I should have never made us the priority here. I don't even know what I've been doing lately. I still love you, but I can't believe how I've acted because of that," I explained, struggling to find a way to say everything I was thinking.

His face softened a bit as he agreed, "Yeah, that's how I feel too."

"That alley today," I began, stopping as tears clogged my throat, my voice becoming a broken whisper, "I can't even fathom what she went through. And I can't believe it happened because of us." By this time I was crying, tears slipping down my face in earnest as my emotions got the best of me.

"I know," Natsu replied, his eyes filling, "I used to be the one saving her, and now, I'm the one who's hurt her the most."

I brushed a hand across my wet cheeks as guilt rose up inside me again, and whispered my confession, "I don't know how to live with this, Natsu. I've never hurt anyone so badly, and I don't know how to make it right."

"I don't either. I can't even figure out how I feel anymore. I'm so worried about Lucy, and scared that she'll never be okay. It hurts me to know she'll probably never forgive me, and then I feel guilty for even thinking of myself. How can I be such a selfish bastard?" he choked out, tipping his head down as a stream of tears slid down his face to drop on the table.

It was the most broken I'd ever seen him, and my heart ached in understanding. "We've both been selfish, me even more than you, but it's time to change that. Lucy needs all of us, and we're going to have to find a way to be there for her, even if it's just going on jobs to help pay for her rent," I declared, feeling sadness at the thought of being without Natsu, but this wasn't about me. I had finally come to understand that fact, and now I was determined to give Lucy all of my attention. She deserved that and more.

"You're right," he said, nodding briefly, as he offered a shaky, watery smile, "I'm all fired up."

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**FREED'S POV**

I followed Makarov and Levy up the stairs, leaving our group to settle in with the rest of the guild. I had a job to do, and I knew it would probably take several hours, even with Porlyusica's assistance. It was a tedious process, blending DNA into an ink made of magic. Combining a tangible thing with an intangible element wasn't exactly easy, and with the limited amount of DNA I'd been able to recover from the site, we'd only have one chance at this.

We could afford no mistakes with our procedure, so every step would have to be checked and rechecked to be sure it had been done correctly. If we slipped up even once, the entire process would fail. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong. We had all considered different plans to capture our prey, but none had held even a tenth of the probability of working that this idea had. This was, quite simply, our one shot.

Entering the room, I found it completely set up with everything we'd need scattered across multiple tables. I nodded quickly at the old healer, and leading Levy to the table in the middle of the room and explained what we'd need to do, "Okay, here's how things will work. Porlyusica will take the sample, extracting the DNA from the cells and then amplify them. This will give numerous copies to work with."

"Why do we need the copies?" Levy asked, her eyebrows scrunched up in contemplation.

Porlyusica spoke up, expounding on her part of our plan, "You'll need a copy for each rune station around town. With only one sample, we would only be able to put a single trap out there. We need as many as possible if we're to catch this criminal."

The Solid Script mage nodded her head, her eyes alight with understanding. "Okay, so what do I do for now?"

"Now, we work on the containers. I've come up with a set of runes I believe will work to help contain the magical ink. Come, I'll show you," I informed, as I put my hand out to motion for her to follow me. Turning to Porlyusica, I handed over the sample I'd collected, and she set to work, her movements sure and unwavering.

She spoke over her shoulder, "I'll need to measure out how much DNA we actually have to work with. This will take some time."

"Very well," I responded, moving to a separate table holding various empty bottles. Picking one up, I held it up, and began showing Levy how to write the proper runes along the sides of it with my finger. The glass shined brilliant purple for a moment, before turning back to its normal, clear color. I set the finished item down on another table, and moved on to the next, handing it over to Levy, and watched as she duplicated my actions. I nodded encouragingly as the runes once again glowed, showing a completed set.

"Freed," the scipt mage stopped and asked, "Why are we using ink? Why can't we just write the runes with our magic?"

I turned to her, clarifying, "If we were simply putting up the rune stations for anyone coming through them, that would be fine. However, we will be using Tatankan's DNA to target only him, and that cannot be simply added to our magic. The DNA must be mixed with another source before it can be fused with magic. This ink will satisfy that need, and adding our magic to it will make this the perfect medium to use in the runes."

We continued through the remaining bottles, pushing through the tedious work of runing all 20 bottles. I sighed as we finished the last one, feeling immensely grateful for the small blunette's assistance, especially considering we'd fairly flown through the entire stock. I'd always done this type of work alone, so to have another person to share the tedium with was quite a nice a change. It was too bad that they experience had come at the expense of Lucy being hurt.

Now that we had bottles capable of storing the magical ink, we would have to create the blending agent. Pointing to the table with a large pot of ink on it, I directed Levy to start bringing over the bottles we'd rune marked already. We'd need to fill each one evenly with the ink Porlyusica had brought from Magnolia's resident witch. It was a special blend, one specifically used in writing spells with the caster's blood.

The two of us worked quickly, spooning the dark liquid into the small containers with relative ease. As Levy finished up the last few, I walked over to Porlyusica to check on her progress. She looked up at me with a deadpan expression, and said, "It's not done yet. Now leave me alone."

My eyes widened a bit as I moved back over to where Levy was standing and said, "Okay, now the only things left to do are adding our magic, and the DNA copies, to each ink pot."

Pulling out my sword, I demonstrated, dipping the tip into one of the bottles, and pushing out a small burst of magic down the blade. The contents of the glass container lit up, the purple combining with the dark ink to make a deep violet, before fading away once again. After watching me, Levy pulled out her pen, touching it lightly to the dark ink, and eased out a slip of her magic, lighting the inside of the pot with the bright blue of her magic, blending with the ink into a deep navy blue, before returning to its original color.

"Nicely done. Now we'll each take half, and we'll have these completed in no time at all," I instructed, and receiving her consent, began on my remaining nine.

It took us another 30 minutes to accomplish our task, and by that time, Porlyusica had already begun the duplicating process. This part of things was left up to her, as she was the only one with experience in that area, so I pulled Levy away, heading towards the door.

"You've done quite well, Levy. I appreciate your assistance. We managed to get through the bulk of our portion rather quickly," I complimented.

She smiled brightly up at me, and answered, "Thank you. I'm happy to help Lucy in any way. I want to catch this guy." Her face felll a bit with the mention of her friend, and placing a hand on her tiny shoulder, I told her, "We'll find him. What's lost will always be found."

She took a deep breath, nodding once as if to assure herself, and agreed, "You're right. Fairies never give up."

Just before she opened the door, I handed her a small notebook, saying, "This is last thing I require of you. I need you study up on these notes. They're on the type of rune traps we'll need. Make sure you familiarize yourself with these very well tonight. They must be done exactly right; a single part written incorrectly, and the entire trap will be useless."

"Right then, I'll get right on it. Good thing I brought my Gale Force reading glasses," she mused as she walked through the door, her mind already occupied with the pages in her hands.

"You should get going too. You're going to have a long day tomorrow, so you should head home and get some rest," Polyusica prodded me, her face turning a bit sour, "Besides, there's nothing more for you to do here...and all you humans are getting on my nerves."

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_**A/N: I really hadn't intended to go into depth on how the were making the rune stations and traps, but suddenly it seemed important. IDK, did it make sense to everyone? lol If not, don't tell me. I'm just kidding - tell away! :)**_


	20. Just A Dream

_Okay guys, a warning here. If you don't have a tissue box right now, you may want to go get one, because this one was rough. Love you all for reading, and thank you all for sticking by me. Thanks to **Deathsembrace137** for checking this chapter! Loves ya!_

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail..._

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**CHAPTER 20: JUST A DREAM**

**LUCY'S POV**

_I pulled against the ropes frantically, ignoring the way they dug into my skin, leaving nasty red burns. He would be back soon, and I had to get away. This was my only chance. I cried out in panic, as I struggled against my restraints, but they wouldn't budge. I couldn't seem to find the strength to so much as loosen the knots to afford myself enough room to scrape my hands through._

_Suddenly I heard the distinct crunch of footsteps around the corner. He was coming. I jerked on the ropes, yanking with every ounce of energy I had as a sob shot out of my mouth. I wasn't going to make it. I knew it, but I couldn't stop myself._

_As he strolled into the alley, I whimpered, my struggles dying away as I cowered against the wall. He watched me with cold eyes before a cruel smile broke out on his face. My heart shot up into my throat as he got closer, and I couldn't stop the tears that poured from my eyes as I shook my head. I knew what was coming. He'd told me he wasn't done with me yet._

_My fears were confirmed as he lifted his hand to my naked body and hauled me up next to him. "You ready to have some more fun," he breathed into my ear, before sliding his wet tongue down my neck. I let out a shrill yell, calling out for help, begging for Natsu to come, even though he didn't love me anymore. I kicked out, trying to break his hold, but I couldn't get away._

_His hand closed around my throat, and he growled, "Stop screaming, you stupid bitch! No one's coming for you."_

_Tears poured from my eyes, as I realized that he was probably right. No one was looking for me. Still, I fought, but that did me little good. He let go of my neck, only to send a fist into my cheek, snapping my head back against the wall behind me. I gasped as my eyes went dark for a second, before my vision cleared and his face came back into view._

_I sobbed as he reached for the fastening of his pants, and-_

I woke to someone shaking me harshly, and I burst into action, my body launching into fight or flight mode. Distantly, I heard my name being called, but I shoved it aside, knowing it had to be a cruel trick. There was no one there to help me, and if I didn't fight, he'd have me again.

"LUCY! STOP IT!" I heard again, the voice sounding strained and worried, and then I realized how familiar it sounded. I sucked in a sharp breath, and that was when I smelled him, the one I could trust. He wouldn't hurt me. He had saved me. I opened my eyes slowly, afraid it was a lie, but there he was, just beside me, his face tinged with concern, his red eyes the most comforting thing I'd ever seen.

I stilled immediately, a choked cry slipping from my mouth at the sight of him, and I tugged against him, willing him to let my arms go. He released me, only to reach out and pull me up onto his lap, his arms sheltering me like a small child. He leaned against the wall, holding my shaking body close to his chest, and murmured, "It was just a dream, Lucy. I've got you."

His deep voice swept over me, calming the terror inside, as he repeated his words over and over again, like a song on repeat. A song that struck a chord deep inside me, filling me with the knowledge that I was finally safe. I buried my face in his shirt, and sobbed, wrapping that feeling of safety around me as I waited for the tremors to ease.

Rogue said nothing more, never once asking me to relive my nightmare, and I was overcome with a deep sense of gratefulness for his sensitivity. I couldn't imagine trying to tell him or anyone else what had happened. In all honesty, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to talk about it. All that had happened was like a deep well of anguish, and I would do everything I could to never ever go there again.

I didn't need to visit it or see it again. It would haunt me for the rest of my life. It wasn't one of those things that you go through, and you can put it aside, pack it up in a neat little box and put it away. This wasn't something I knew how to deal with or get past, and I longed to find some way to forget.

A hand brushed over my hair tentatively, and I stiffened at the new touch, at the sensation of my head being stroked. I breathed in Rogue's scent, filling my lungs with it, letting it bathe me in its familiarity, and relaxed. Nothing could touch me here. I closed my eyes, and just let go. I let go of it all, the fear of being touched, the pain of my memories, and the worry of being taken again.

I laid there atop Rogue, and just released it all, feeling that incredible sense of peace only Rogue could provide. I felt my breathing become normal, and I sank into his warmth, pushing all the negative away, and just sank into the man who had become my refuge.

"You okay?" his voice came softly some time later, and as his chest rumbled against my ear, I felt my lip curl up for the first time since my attack. I wasn't even sure why that small thing brought me a measure of happiness, but I couldn't deny that it felt good.

"You're smiling," he mused in surprise, as he leaned his head to the side to get a better view, his hand stilling on my head at the distraction.

I blinked slowly, and nodded my head against him, saying quietly, "A little."

His face eased into a small smile as he looked at me, and approved, "I'm glad." His arms loosened a bit, and the smile fell from my lips as he asked, "Are you getting hungry?"

"No," I offered simply, wondering if it would be wrong of me to ask him to hold me for a while longer. _I felt like he was doing so much for me already. Should I really continue asking for more?_ He had said for me to ask for what I wanted, but I felt so guilty for his life being on hold because of me.

I fought with myself, yawning as my restless night caught up to me, and decided to just chance it, but before I could open my mouth to ask, Rogue spoke, "Still tired?"

In lieu of a response, I nodded against him, feeling no compulsion to verbalize my affirmation, and he set me gently on the bed beside him. I sat there pained at the disconnection, but he eased himself down, stretching his body out to lie down, before reaching out a hand for me.

"Come on, lay back down for a while. You need some sleep. It's still early anyway," he directed, tugging me down to tuck me into his side, pressing my head gently to his chest.

I sighed as he pulled the blanket over us both, and nuzzled into him, closing my eyes as I drifted off to the sound of his steady heartbeat.

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LAXUS'S POV

We made our way through the city to the first location on our list. Freed and Levy had worked it all out early this morning, the perfect placement of the runes stations throughout the city. Looking at the map, I had to agree that they'd done well, seeing the runes situated strategically to form a network over the entire area. By the time we finished, it would spread out over the city like a large web.

As a group, we'd decided that the outer ring of stations needed to be done first. That way, we would know if Tatankan was moving into or out of Magnolia. I think most everyone was torn between hoping that the man had left the city - and be as far from Lucy as possible - and wanting him to stick around so he'd be caught and punished. It wasn't an easy thing, but I knew the only hope we had of catching him lay in these runes.

We'd had such a difficult time even getting close to him, and it had seemed that every time we were certain we had him, he would slip away. My jaw clenched at the feeling of impotence. It had been a long time since I felt the sting of powerlessness, but in this situation, my contribution could only be protection.

I, like everyone else in Fairy Tail, was raging to destroy the man who'd harmed our family, to tear into him and scatter his bits to the wind as a warning to all who would think to come against us. It wasn't our way to wait, to observe and plan, especially with the bastard still running around, free to come and go, free to find Lucy again. However, we had no choice in the matter this time.

This situation was different from any other we'd faced. We couldn't go at it straight on, sending everything we had at the problem and win. This, we couldn't fight the way we always had, sending our best and strongest out to defeat it. No, this time, we had to rely on the ones in our guild who made it their business to think and plan for every eventuality.

Now, our success or failure fell upon the shoulders of Freed and Levy, on their ability to capture this monster. We were pinning everything on them, on this plan of theirs, and I knew this weighed heavily on them both. It had been easy to see in the long look they'd shared before we left; they feared what would happen if they failed.

As I followed my team, my mind went back over how everything had changed since my attack on the guild, and though I felt an instant pang of guilt, I also felt proud that we'd found our way back. I had long ago come to understand what my grandfather had tried to teach me, that we didn't all have to be insanely strong to belong together. We belonged together because together, we were strong. I knew all that, but it had never struck me as strongly as it did now, now when everything depended on my best friend and the tiny Script mage I used to think so little of.

I couldn't help but think of what might have happened in this situation, if we hadn't had Levy with us. It had been her that had come up with the perfect placement of our network of traps, her research of city maps that had given us a place to start, and her tireless studying of Freed's runes through the night that cut Freed's work in half. Long ago, I would have seen her as weak and unworthy of a place in our guild, but now I knew different. We needed each of us, with all of our differences, to be what we were.

We had all come so far, forming our odd family into the strongest guild in all of Fiore, and now someone had taken a stab at us, leading us on a chase we were finding ourselves ill-equipped to handle. This mage was something we hadn't encountered before, and we would would need caution and patience to catch him. But catch him, we would. He could not hide forever, and Fairy Tail was nothing if not persistent.

As I walked to the edges of town with Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen, I nodded my head slightly to myself. That sick bastard would never win. Fairy Tail's wrath had been awoken, and it wouldn't be satisfied until Tatankan's head was on a spike. We would not tolerate anyone hurting our nakama, and he would soon see just how unyielding we could be.

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**_A/N: Now, just to let everyone know. I will never include the rape scene in here. I know after reading that, some of you will wonder, and let me lay those fears to rest right now. We all know that rape is inconceivably horrifying. I don't need to write that, and I refuse to. She will flashback to it, and I may give you a small part like I did here, but that is all. I hope you all are okay with this. Let me know if you ever find it to be too much, guys. _**


	21. Believe In Me

Oh goody gravy, I'm super sorry I forgot to post yesterday! You have my permission to kick me...not hard though, okay? Anyway, thanks for your patience, and thanks to Deathsembrace137 for being my amazing beta! Love you my dirty bitch!

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Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

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**CHAPTER 21: BELIEVE IN ME**

**LEVY'S POV**

My team made our way silently to the place where we'd be setting up the first set of runes, each of us seemingly lost in thought. I understood the need to sink into yourself in such a way; I'd found myself doing a lot of that lately, ever since Lucy had been hurt. I just couldn't seem to come out of myself, other than when I worked with Freed on preparing the runes.

I didn't want to give anyone a chance to talk to me, because if I did, they'd bring Lucy's attack up again and push me to talk. Somehow I felt if I finally opened up, all my fears would come pouring out. Then everyone would know that I wasn't ready for such a huge job, that I could never handle something so big, so important.

I wasn't even sure if I could, but I knew I had to try. I had to give everything I could to make Lucy safe again, and this was something only I could help Freed do. I refused to fail my best friend by letting my doubts and fears stop me.

I'd, long ago, figured out that I wasn't the strongest mage; I didn't have the fiery spirit of Natsu, or the nearly limitless magic power of Erza, or the brute strength of Gajeel. It was pretty plain to see. Most of the time though, it didn't bother me. I'd accepted who I was, and I was okay with it.

That had all changed in the wake of Lucy's attack. Now, it didn't feel okay; it felt dangerous, frightening. Lucy wasn't a slouch when it came to her magic, and her spirits would fight for her till the end, so the fact that she had not only been defeated, but brutalized as well, made things so much more unbelievable and worrying.

It hit so close to home for me, not just because she was my best friend, but also because I realized it could have easily been me. It could have been me in that alley, tied up like an animal, tortured, screaming out for help. It could be me quaking in fear at the mere thought of someone doing to me what had been done to her.

The possibilities swam around in my head, taunting me with what ifs, and I felt a tear slip down my cheek unbidden. I was afraid, more afraid than I'd ever been before, afraid we had lost Lucy for good, afraid we'd never find the man who'd hurt her, afraid that I could be next. It was all too much.

"Oi, Shrimp," a deep voice called to me.

I turned my head, subtly trying to wipe away the traitorous tear before he could see it, and asked, "Yeah?" I hoped I had managed to remove all traces of my emotional slip, but looking at his stern face, I knew I'd not succeeded.

"Don't start that," Gajeel commanded gruffly, raising his eyes back to the road as he continued, "We're gonna catch that bastard."

Jet quickly agreed, throwing his arm around my shoulders, "Absolutely Levy. He's going to pay."

Droy nodded his head quickly, and I sighed at their concern, and attempted a smile for their benefits. Their faces fell marginally, their eyes betraying their true emotions, that they too worried about what would happen if we failed. I swallowed back the wave of tears that threatened to swamp me, and straightened my back. This was for Lucy, and everyone was doing all they could do. I could do nothing less.

Squaring my shoulders, I drew in a breath and announced, "Let's do this, guys. We can't let him win."

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**CANA'S POV**

I sat at the bar, for once not even thinking about alcohol. My mind was consumed with Lucy, with that alley I'd seen. I had never seen something so horrible, and to think it had happened to one of my friends. I just couldn't accept the reality. I had heard how Gray and Erza had described her condition, how broken she was, but try as I might, it didn't feel real.

It all felt like some terrible nightmare, and I just needed to find a way to wake up and break the spell. If I could just wake up, it would all be a lie. Lucy would be fine, and everything would be as it should be, with all of us partying and living it up together. There wouldn't be this ache in my chest, and my friend would be safe here with her family. If only I could wake up.

Dropping my head into my hands, I cried, my tears slipping out silently, because there was no waking from this, no pretending this wasn't real. I couldn't live in a fantasy where we were all okay, because it wasn't true. Everything was wrong. Lucy was hurt, and no one seemed to know if she'd ever be alright again.

A sob broke free at the thought of my friend never finding her way back to us. She couldn't leave us like that. She was my friend, and I wanted her back. I couldn't help but think back to when she'd stood with me in the S-class trials. I had already decided to leave Fairy Tail if I couldn't gain S-class status, all because I felt like being S-class was the only way to prove I was good enough to be Giladarts' daughter.

Lucy had cut off any thoughts I had of abandoning my family, and made me realize that I didn't need anything else to offer my father but myself. She had been there for me through one of the hardest times of my life, not just caring for me and my situation, but also standing there beside me as I fought for what I wanted. She helped me find the strength to tell my father who I really was. She was the most amazing friend I'd ever had, and I didn't want to lose her.

I jolted as a hand came down on my shoulder, and I lifted my head at the sound of Gray's voice, "Cana, you okay?"

"Y-yeah," I assured, wiping the tears from my eyes as I offered a trembling smile. He gave me a knowing look, just like he had since we were kids, and I croaked, "No, I'm not."

The words barely left my mouth, and his arms were around me, holding me tightly as I cried. Even as kids, he'd always known what was going on my head, just by looking at me, and this time was no different. "It's going to be okay, Cana. She's going to be okay," he consoled. His deep voice was soft and comforting, and I took in his peace and let it wash over me, pushing my fear aside.

"Better?" he asked after a moment, not moving or pulling away. He just let me hold onto him, breathing him in until I was ready to stand on my own again.

I leaned back, looking up into his deep blue eyes and nodded briefly, a small smile coming to my face as I told him, "Thanks Gray."

He smiled back down at me, and offered, "I'm going to go see Lucy. You want to come?"

"Yes!" I answered quickly, before slowing down and asking timidly, "Do you think she'll be okay with me being there? I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

Gray took in a deep breath, and thought for a moment, then acknowledged, "She has trouble being around a lot of people at one time, but her biggest thing is she doesn't like being touched. As long as you move slowly and don't try to approach her without her telling you to, she'll be fine."

I swallowed hard at his words. I couldn't imagine a Lucy that hated to be touched. She'd had so little of it from her father, that she had become one of the most touchy-feely people I knew. When she had joined the guild, she finally had the freedom to express how she felt, and she did, frequently. She had blossomed here. "She always gives me a hug when she sees me," I whispered, as my eyes filled again, and I corrected myself, "She used to."

The ice mage settled his hands on my shoulders and shook me once to get my attention, before reminding me firmly, "She'll get there. Things are just hard for her right now. You have to give her time, okay?"

Taking a shuddering breath, I nodded and agreed, "You're right. Let's go see her."

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**ROGUE'S POV**

I awoke for a second time that day and looking at the clock, found it to be much later than I'd originally thought. I hadn't realized how tired I was, but thinking over the last few days, it made sense. I'd been running on fumes the last day. Between Lucy waking up through the night with bad dreams and my worry for her, I hadn't been getting much sleep.

Looking down, I saw that Lucy was still asleep, her mouth open slightly as her steady, even breaths puffed out over my chest. It was an unusual thing to see her so relaxed, simply at ease, and I took the opportunity to really see her. She was honestly beautiful. Her tiny nose, full lips that I could imagine in a wide smile, slightly flushed skin, and though they were closed at the moment, big brown eyes that held the depths of her soul.

It was easy to see she was striking, and with her winning personality, she must have been something else. I suppose that's what made this so tragic. From what I had gathered, she had been a truly wonderful person, a woman both open and friendly, capable of great forgiveness. She hadn't deserved what she'd gotten, and I hated that such an amazing being had been reduced to this.

She deserved to be living out her life without fear, standing with her friends. Lucy shouldn't have to live and breathe the worst moment in her life over and over again. Though that was just what had happened with... _No, I refuse to go there again._ No more visiting that place. Lucy was not her.

I sighed deeply and closed my eyes again, trying to will the tortuous memories away. I had long ago accepted that I'd never be free of them, never be able to forget, but sometimes, I could push them down deep inside, at least for a little while. It never worked for long, but I suppose I could be grateful for the brief reprieve.

"Rogue, are you okay?" a small voice asked, and I sighed again and opened my eyes to see Lucy watching me with concerned eyes.

I couldn't help the slight smile that graced my face at her question. She had been through so much lately, and here she was worrying about me. It was quite a change for me. I wasn't used to anyone worrying over me like that, especially when their life was a mess like hers currently was.

"I'm fine," I answered quietly, feeling a wealth of relief that my mind was clearing. I felt like thanking Lucy for distracting me, but she wouldn't have a clue what I was talking about. Looking into her eyes, I was glad to see no trace of her earlier fear. At least one of us was doing alright at the moment.

Her brow wrinkled as she reached out a tentative hand to my face and said, "You looked so sad." Her fingers brushed against my cheek for just a second, before her hand began to waver, and as if she'd just realized what she was doing, jerked her hand back with a soft, "Sorry."

"It's okay," I soothed, taking her hand in mine as I slowly brought it back up to my face. Her eyes went wide, her face paling in panic. I knew she was scared, but I also knew that she wouldn't have tried to touch me if some part of her hadn't really wanted to. She just needed to be reminded that all touch wasn't bad. "Lucy, look at me. Nothing's going to happen. Remember, you're safe," I instructed gently, easing her into it.

Her eyes met mine at my command, and though there was fear, there was also a hint of curiosity, and that was the part I wanted to encourage. She needed to find a way back to the woman she had been, and though I knew she'd never be exactly the same as before, I knew she was strong enough to find the best parts of herself again. I just had to help her take a little step at a time.

I nodded to her, holding her hand up next to my face, as I waited for her to decide if she was ready. She took a deep breath, and returned my nod with one of her own, and I placed her hand on my face, her palm flat against my cheek. The air left her in a whoosh, but she didn't move. She stayed there until I moved my hand back to my side, and then I stayed as still as I could, letting her know that she was in control.

She bit her lip nervously as her thumb slowly began to move over my skin. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and I could see that she was shaking, so I said, "You don't have to do any more, Lucy. You did great."

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, as she pulled back again and covered her face.

"Hey," I called to her, sitting up to tug her hands down. I lifted her head enough to look her in the eyes, and my heart ached at the tears that slid down her cheeks. "Lucy, don't cry. You're doing just fine," I said quickly. I hated to see her cry.

She looked so broken, so defeated by her crippling fear, and her lip trembled as she murmured, "I'm never going to be okay, am I?"

I wanted to deny it vigorously, shout at her to believe in herself, anything to wipe that desolate look from her eyes. "Don't say that. You're going to get there. It just takes time," I argued, feeling an inexplicable need blink quickly as my emotions threatened to overwhelm me. She couldn't give up like this, give in to the darkness. I wouldn't let her.

"I don't think I can believe that," she sighed, turning her head away, as another tear spilled over and trickled down her face.

She didn't trust in herself anymore. That much was plain to see. So I would give her something else to trust in, until she could find a way to have faith in herself again. I reached out with both hands and cupped her face, turning her back towards me. I brushed her tears away softly, and told her, "Then, believe in me."

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**_A/N: Gah, I love writing scenes like that! _**


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